Oil refining in Russia falls to 16-year low after Ukrainian drone attacks

In May, oil refining volumes in Russia fell to their lowest level since 2009 amid large-scale Ukrainian drone strikes on oil infrastructure.

This is reported by Bloomberg.

The agency estimates that Ukraine launched at least 30 strikes on Russian oil facilities in May, the highest number in a single month since the start of the full-scale war. Eight of Russiaʼs ten largest oil refineries were hit.

The targets included not only refineries, but also oil terminals, oil depots, pumping stations, and fuel storage facilities. Some facilities were attacked multiple times. In particular, the Yaroslavl refinery was hit three times in a month, and Lukoil plants in Nizhny Novgorod and Perm were hit twice each.

According to data from analytics company OilX, Russian refineries processed an average of 4.58 million barrels of oil per day in May. This is 13% less than a year ago and the lowest figure since October 2009.

Analysts say that Ukraine has changed its attack tactics. While previously it mainly attacked primary processing facilities, which are quickly repaired, now it is more complex and expensive secondary facilities. Their restoration due to sanctions may take much longer.

• The Russian government has banned the export of aviation kerosene for the first time. The ban will be in effect from June 1 to November 30, 2026. Russia has also banned the export of gasoline since April 1, which is linked to regular Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil facilities.

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