Russia’s Fourth-Largest Refinery Cuts Output After Ukrainian Drone Strike

Russia’s fourth-largest oil refinery has partially suspended operations following a Ukrainian drone strike.

According to Reuters on May 22, citing industry sources, the Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez refinery in Kstovo, located in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region, shut down its main crude processing unit, known as AVT-6, following a Ukrainian drone strike on May 20.

The refinery processes around 16–17 million metric tons of oil annually, equivalent to roughly 320,000 barrels per day, making it one of Russia’s largest refining facilities and the country’s second-largest gasoline producer.

Industry sources cited by Reuters said the AVT-6 unit is capable of processing approximately 25,700 metric tons of crude per day, or about 190,000 barrels. The unit reportedly accounts for more than half of the refinery’s total processing capacity.

Video and images published after the strike showed a fire at the refinery complex, including damage to the AVT-6 installation. Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed on May 20 that Ukrainian forces had struck the facility and damaged the refinery’s primary oil processing unit.

The shutdown is expected to significantly reduce fuel production at the plant and add further pressure to Russia’s energy sector and domestic fuel supply system.

Reuters also reported that multiple major refineries in central Russia have recently reduced or halted operations following a wave of Ukrainian drone attacks targeting Russian oil infrastructure.

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Sources cited by the agency said the combined refining capacity of Russian plants that have either fully or partially suspended operations now exceeds 83 million metric tons annually. According to Reuters, those facilities account for more than 30% of Russia’s gasoline production and roughly 25% of diesel output.

The Kstovo refinery has been targeted multiple times in recent days. Ukraine’s General Staff previously confirmed strikes against the facility on May 19 and May 20, describing damage to refining infrastructure and fires at the site.

Earlier, Lukoil’s Permnefteorgsintez refinery in Russia’s Perm region fully halted crude processing and fuel production after Ukrainian drone strikes damaged several primary distillation units and caused fires at the facility.

The shutdown was part of a broader wave of disruptions affecting major Russian refineries amid continued Ukrainian long-range drone attacks.

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