Drone attack halts key unit at one of Russia’s largest oil refineries
Illustrative photo: the Armed Forces of Ukraine attacked the Novo-Ufimsk oil refinery with a drone (Getty Images)
The agency notes that after a Ukrainian drone attack on Thursday, April 2, a fire broke out at the plant. As a result, the refinery was forced to shut down one of its largest crude oil primary processing units.
Three industry sources said the fire occurred specifically at the CDU-5 unit of the Novo-Ufimsk oil refinery. It accounts for about 28% of the refinery’s total capacity.
The company did not provide a comment in response to a Reuters request. It is known that three other crude oil primary processing units are still operating at the facility.
In 2024, the Novo-Ufimsk refinery processed 3.8 million tons of oil, or about 76,000 barrels per day. This represents 1.4% of Russia’s total oil refining volume.
During the same period, the plant produced 1.2 million tons of gasoline, 2.6 million tons of diesel fuel, and 1.1 million tons of fuel oil.
Strikes on Russian facilities
The March campaign marked a continuation of systematic strikes on Russian military and oil infrastructure. On March 31, drones attacked the Ust-Luga port for the fifth time in 10 days, hitting an oil terminal.
According to Reuters, drone attacks, a strike on an oil pipeline, and the seizure of tankers have halted at least 40% of Russia’s export capacity.
In addition, Ukraine’s Defense Forces struck the Yaroslavl oil refinery on the night of March 28. Its products, including diesel and jet fuel, are critical for the logistics of the enemy army.
Earlier, on March 26, the Kirishi oil refinery came under attack. This facility is the second-largest in the country; as a result of the strike, a major fire broke out at the plant.
