Moscow oil refinery halts operations after Ukrainian drone attack, Reuters reports

Refinery operations halted after the attack

The Moscow oil refinery stopped processing oil following a Ukrainian drone strike on May 17.

According to a source, the strike did not cause critical damage to technological equipment, but operations were temporarily suspended to reduce potential risks.

The outlet noted that full restoration of the plant’s operations could take several days.

What is known about the strike

Local authorities had previously reported a drone crash near the facility. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said that 12 people were injured as a result of the attack.

"According to preliminary data, twelve people were injured as a result of the strike, mostly construction workers near the refinery’s entrance gates. The main processing facilities of the oil refinery remain undamaged," Sobyanin said.

Importance of the Moscow refinery

The Moscow oil refinery is located in the southeastern part of the Russian capital and is considered one of the key facilities supplying fuel to Moscow and the region.

The plant is owned by Gazprom Neft, which had not commented on the situation at the time of publication.

Production volumes

According to industry sources, the refinery processed around 11.6 million tons of oil in 2024.

It also produced 2.9 million tons of gasoline, 3.2 million tons of diesel fuel, and 1.3 million tons of bitumen.

On the night of May 17, the Moscow region came under a large-scale drone attack. Residents reported a series of explosions, and earlier explosions were also heard in occupied Crimea.

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said that Russian air defense systems had been reportedly shooting down drones since the evening of May 16. According to him, by 03:30 a.m., a total of 73 drones had been destroyed, while air defense operations continued.