Orsk refinery offline for months after drone strike, governor warns of fuel crunch
A Ukrainian drone strike has forced Russia's Orsk refinery to fully shut down, with repairs expected to take up to six months.
The Orenburg region is bracing for a prolonged fuel shortage after a Ukrainian drone attack forced the complete shutdown of the Orsk oil refinery, a key supplier of petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel.
Regional Governor Yevgeny Solntsev said on Thursday that shrapnel had damaged critical, imported equipment that cannot be repaired quickly due to sanctions. He estimated the repair work could take up to six months, leaving the plant completely inoperative.
"We are preparing for a worst-case scenario and will have to rely on fuel supplies brought in from outside the region," Solntsev said in a social media post, appealing for patience from local motorists.
The governor noted that 80% of the region's 287 filling stations remain operational, with priority given to emergency and specialised vehicles. Traffic police and volunteers are managing queues as drivers search for fuel.
The Ukrainian military confirmed it attacked the refinery on Tuesday, setting it ablaze. The facility, located roughly 1,470 km southeast of Moscow near the Kazakhstan border, has an annual capacity of 6 million metric tons of crude oil.
This strike is part of a broader Ukrainian campaign to intensify attacks on Russian energy infrastructure this year, aiming to raise the cost of the ongoing war for Moscow. The resulting disruptions have already triggered widespread fuel shortages across several Russian regions.