Kazakhstan Refinery to Process Russian Oil, Export 30% Back to Russia
Kazakhstan's Kondensat refinery will process Russian crude and send 30% of the output back to Russia, as Moscow faces fuel shortages from Ukrainian attacks on its refineries.
Kazakhstan's Kondensat oil refinery is set to process Russian crude oil, with a significant portion of the resulting products destined for the Russian market. According to the Interfax news agency, 30% of the refinery's output will be shipped to Russia.
The arrangement emerges as Russia contends with severe fuel supply disruptions. In recent weeks, the country has witnessed long queues at petrol stations and a sharp rise in gasoline and diesel prices. These shortages are largely attributed to Ukrainian drone and missile strikes on Russian energy infrastructure, including oil refineries.
Kyiv has targeted these facilities as part of a strategy to disrupt the funding of Moscow's military operations. By damaging refining capacity, Ukraine aims to reduce Russia's ability to generate revenue from fuel exports and to strain its domestic supply chains.
The processing deal with Kazakhstan offers Moscow a workaround to mitigate the impact of these attacks, allowing it to import refined products from its neighbour while its own facilities are repaired or offline.