Key Russian oil refinery halts largest unit after drone attack, Reuters reports

Sources told the agency that Kirishi, one of the key refineries in Russia, stopped its most productive crude distillation unit, CDU-6, after a drone attack and a subsequent fire on Saturday, October 4.

Reuters notes that it will take about a month to restore the unit's operation. The unit has a capacity of 8 million metric tons per year, or 160,000 barrels per day—about 40% of the refinery’s total processing capacity.

The Kirishi refinery's total capacity is 20.1 million tons of crude oil per year. The plant produces gasoline, diesel, aviation fuel, and other petroleum products.

Its shutdown could lead to a drop in fuel production amid a fuel shortage in Russia. Russia is struggling with shortages of some popular types of gasoline due to repeated attacks by Ukrainian drones.

Attacks on Kirishi refinery

On the night of Saturday, October 4, the Kirishi oil refinery was hit by Ukraine's Special Operations Forces along with the Russian rebel movement.

Earlier, on the night of September 14, drones also attacked the Kirishi refinery. The Drone Forces reported that the strike caused a large fire. After this strike, it significantly reduced oil processing.

Previously, the refinery was attacked on the night of March 8, when debris from a downed drone damaged the exterior of one of the storage tanks.