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Ukraine’s Drone Strikes Knock Out 17 Russian Refining Units, Cutting 14% of Capacity
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![Photo of Roman Kohanets]( "Photo of Roman Kohanets")
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Ukraine’s latest wave of drone and missile strikes has dealt one of the most severe blows yet to Russia’s oil sector, hitting at least ten refineries and fuel terminals in multiple regions, Reuters reported on August 25. According to Ukrainian military sources cited by Militarnyi, the attacks disabled 17 refining units, removing roughly 14% of Russia’s total refining capacity from operation.
The strikes targeted facilities across Samara, Ryazan, Volgograd, Oryol, and Leningrad regions. Satellite imagery and local reports confirm extensive damage at Rosneft’s Ryazan refinery, Lukoil’s Volgograd plant, and terminals near Saint Petersburg. Russian officials acknowledged fires and temporary shutdowns but did not provide capacity loss figures.
Reuters noted that Russia’s refining sector had already been strained by Western sanctions and equipment shortages. The latest attacks now leave Moscow facing “cascading challenges” in both domestic fuel supply and export commitments. Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate (HUR) has increasingly prioritized energy infrastructure strikes as a way to undercut what it calls “the war economy of the aggressor.”
An unnamed Ukrainian security source told Reuters: “Our goal is to reduce Russia’s ability to finance and fuel the war. Every refinery taken offline means fewer resources for the front.”
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) assessed that repeated Ukrainian strikes are forcing Russia to divert valuable air-defense assets away from the frontline to protect deep rear energy targets.
Earlier, it was reported that a Ukrainian drone strike on August 2 severely disrupted operations at two of Russia’s largest oil refineries—halting all activity at Novokuibyshevsk and reducing Ryazan’s output by approximately half.
