Oil refining has come to a halt in central Russia following drone attacks
In central Russia, most major oil refineries have been forced to halt or cut back fuel production following recent attacks by Ukrainian drones.
Reuters reports this, citing official data and information from insiders.
The combined production capacity of the refineries that have fully or partially halted operations exceeds 83 million metric tons per year, or about 238,000 tons per day. According to the data and anonymous sources, this accounts for about a quarter of Russia’s total refining capacity.
The combined share of these refineries in Russia’s fuel production is over 30% for gasoline and about 25% for diesel fuel.
Ukraine’s drone attacks since the start of the year have struck not only refineries but also oil pipelines and storage facilities, leading to a decline in oil production in Russia—the world’s third-largest oil producer after the U.S. and Saudi Arabia — which has increased pressure on the federal budget, where taxes on oil and gas account for about a quarter of revenues.
Among the oil refineries targeted are the Kirishi refinery in western Russia, the Moscow refinery, as well as facilities in Nizhny Novgorod, Ryazan, and Yaroslavl.
According to sources, one of Russia’s largest oil refineries—Kirishi, with a capacity of 20 million tons per year—has been completely shut down since May 5.
Another major oil refinery, Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez, with a capacity of 17 million tons per year, was attacked on May 20. It is currently unclear whether this refinery has managed to maintain at least partial operations.
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