The Moscow Oil Refinery Shut Down Following a Drone Attack
According to Reuters, the Moscow oil refinery temporarily suspended operations following a Ukrainian drone attack on June 16. The agency’s sources claim that the strike damaged one of the plant’s main units, which accounted for more than half of its production capacity.
A Moscow oil refinery has temporarily halted operations following a drone attack that took place on June 16, Reuters reports, citing sources in the oil industry. According to the agency’s sources, the strike hit a facility owned by Gazprom Neft, located in the southeast of the Russian capital.
According to Reuters sources, the attack damaged the main crude oil refining unit, which accounted for about 53% of the plant’s production capacity. As a result, the facility was forced to suspend operations. At the same time, the second unit, according to the agency’s sources, is expected to resume operations in the near future.
Reuters also reports that it has reviewed video footage taken by an eyewitness after the attack. The footage shows a large fire and thick black smoke rising above the plant’s grounds. Russian emergency services later stated that the fire was quickly extinguished. According to their account, the fire allegedly did not affect the plant’s operations.
However, Reuters’ industry sources offer a different assessment of the situation. According to them, the damage was severe enough to temporarily halt production. “The main crude oil refining unit, which accounts for 53% of the plant’s capacity, was damaged,” Reuters quotes its sources as saying.
The Moscow refinery is one of Russia’s largest oil refineries and supplies a significant portion of the capital region’s fuel needs. The refinery is owned by Gazprom Neft. No official comments have yet been received from the company’s management regarding the extent of the damage or the possible timeline for a full resumption of operations.
Thus, information about the consequences of the attack remains conflicting at this time. Russian authorities insist that the plant’s operations were not affected, while Reuters sources claim that the facility was forced to temporarily halt production. Reuters reports this, citing industry sources.
The Moscow refinery, which was attacked overnight, controls one-third of the Russian capital’s fuel market.
Russian drones struck the Zaporizhzhia region; there are casualties.
