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Ukraine Shuts Down Lukoil’s Refinery, Leaving Russian Fuel Shipments in Limbo
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Russia’s NORSI oil refinery, the country’s fourth-largest and one of its biggest gasoline producers, halted operations after a Ukrainian drone attack over the weekend, according to Reuters on April 7.
Two industry sources told Reuters the refinery suspended operations on April 5, adding a fresh disruption to Russia’s energy sector as Ukrainian strikes continue to hit refining and export infrastructure.
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Russian authorities had earlier reported that the refinery caught fire after the attack. Nizhny Novgorod region governor Gleb Nikitin stated that two facilities at the site were hit, and that the strike also damaged a power station and several houses.
Lukoil, which owns the refinery, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Exchange data also showed the company was no longer offering gasoline, diesel, or fuel oil from the site, signaling that fuel shipments had likely been interrupted.
The sources told Reuters that supplies from the refinery could remain suspended until the end of April. With a capacity of 16 million metric tons per year, or about 320,000 barrels per day, the outage is significant for Russia’s domestic fuel market.
The refinery shutdown also comes amid broader pressure on Russia’s oil infrastructure, including major damage at Baltic export terminals, as satellite images from late March showed major damage at Primorsk, where at least eight storage tanks were hit during sustained drone activity, disrupting one of Russia’s key Baltic oil export hubs.
The strikes knocked out about 40% of the port’s storage capacity, including diesel units, and traders indicated the damage could sharply reduce outgoing shipments.
The disruption also spread to nearby Ust-Luga, which came under repeated fire between March 22 and March 31, with eight reservoirs affected and early April loading schedules thrown off.
State pipeline operator Transneft had already warned exporters that coastal loading could not continue as planned, while another strike also hit the Kirishinefteorgsintez refinery in Kirishi.
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