Ukraine Disrupted 17% of Russia’s Oil Refining Capacity

Ukrainian drone strikes have knocked out 17% of Russia’s oil refining capacity, hitting 10 refineries and cutting about 1.1 million barrels of daily output, according to Reuters estimates.

The attacks followed Russian advances on the battlefield and heavy strikes on Ukraine’s energy system, occurring during Russia’s peak fuel demand season for farmers and tourists.

Over the past month, Ukraine struck Lukoil’s Volgograd refinery, Rosneft’s Ryazan plant, and several other facilities in Rostov, Samara, Saratov and Krasnodar regions.

A fire continued to burn at Russia’s Novoshakhtinsk refinery on Monday after a Ukrainian drone strike. Ukrainian drones also hit the Druzhba pipeline, which continued to supply Russian oil to Hungary.

Russia’s key natural gas processing sites, including Novatek’s Ust-Luga export terminal and a major Baltic fuel processing complex, also came under attack.

The disruption is forcing Moscow to push more crude to exports just as Washington urges China and India to scale back purchases, Reuters reported.

Moscow had already curbed gasoline exports in July to ease shortages. 

After the Ukrainian strikes, queues at gas stations have stretched across southern Russia and the Far East. In Vladivostok, a port city close to China, drivers waited for hours for fuel, while in occupied Crimea, residents say they are paying more after regular high-octane A-95 grade fuel supplies disappeared.

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Drones Target Tyumen Oil Refinery Deep Inside Russia

Russian authorities report a drone attack on the Tyumen oil refinery in Western Siberia, approximately 1,900 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.

Local officials in Vladivostok report that the tourist influx has exacerbated shortages.

Oil and gas account for a quarter of Russia’s budget, funding a 25% rise in defense spending this year. Sanctions have pushed Moscow to sell oil at discounts and cut gas exports to Europe, but weapons production continues at record levels, Reuters reported, citing US military generals.

Kyiv’s attacks also come after Moscow’s systematic strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid. 

As of April 2025, Russian strikes on Ukrainian gas infrastructure are estimated to have cut Ukraine’s domestic production by 50%, meaning the country will need to import more gas for the heating season from Europe. Since then, Ukraine has restored half of its production capacity.