Ukrainian drones have knocked out nearly a third of Russia’s oil refining capacity

Ukrainian drone strikes have taken offline roughly 32% of oil refining in Russia, accounting for around 28% of the country’s gasoline production, according to calculations by Novaya Gazeta Europe.

Reuters, citing industry sources, reported that the Ryazan Oil Refining Company fully suspended operations following a drone attack on 15 May. The facility is Russia’s third-largest refinery by throughput, with an annual processing capacity of 17.1 million tonnes.

Reuters sources also said that the Kapotnya Refinery in Moscow suspended operations after a drone attack on 17 May. The refinery ranks ninth among Russia’s largest oil-processing facilities and has a throughput of 12 million tonnes per year.

Those same sources said the damage to the Kapotnya Refinery was minor and that operations were halted as a precaution to reduce risks. Production could resume within days.

Separately, the Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez refinery in the Novgorod region caught fire today following Ukrainian drone strikes. The plant processes around 17 million tonnes of crude per year. Whether operations have been suspended remains unclear, and it was not included in Novaya Gazeta Europe’s calculations.