Ukraine's Drone Campaign Hits Major Russian Refineries

Ukrainian forces have intensified their campaign of drone strikes against Russian energy infrastructure, causing significant disruption to oil refining capacity across the country. Kyiv says the attacks are aimed at reducing the resources available to fund Russia's military operations.

In the latest incident, the NORSI refinery, owned by Lukoil and Russia's fourth-largest, suspended crude processing on August 26 after being hit by drones. The plant, which is also a major gasoline producer, has an annual capacity of around 15 million metric tons.

Other recent attacks have targeted refineries in the southern regions of Russia. The Novoshakhtinsk refinery in the Rostov region was damaged on August 25, and the Afipsky refinery in the Krasnodar region caught fire following a drone attack the same day.

Earlier in the month, strikes caused significant damage at several other major facilities. The Perm refinery, one of Russia's largest, halted operations on August 21 after an attack caused a fire. The TANECO refinery, operated by Tatneft, was hit on August 19 and again on August 10. A refinery in Ufa was also slightly damaged on August 19.

The campaign has also extended to other energy infrastructure. Novatek's gas condensate processing complex at the Baltic port of Ust-Luga was damaged in an attack on August 14. The Orsk refinery ceased processing on August 11 after a fire, with repairs expected to take up to six months. The Zapsibneftekhim petrochemical complex in western Siberia was also damaged on August 10.

Several other refineries have been forced to halt or reduce operations following attacks since late July. These include major plants in Volgograd, Saratov, Ryazan, and Yaroslavl. The sustained nature of the strikes has created a significant challenge for Russia's domestic fuel supply and export capabilities.