Two more Russian oil refineries halt operations after Ukrainian drone attacks, Reuters reports
Photo: Saratov oil refinery after a Ukrainian drone strike (Getty Images)
Oil refining has halted at the Syzran and Saratov oil refineries. Both facilities were targeted by Ukrainian strikes several days ago, according to Reuters.
Two more Russian oil refineries shut down
The oil refineries in the cities of Syzran and Saratov halted processing after Ukrainian drone attacks in September, three industry sources told Reuters on September 15.
The Syzran refinery was shut down on Tuesday, while the Saratov refinery suspended operations last Friday. The refinery shutdowns are likely to worsen Russia’s domestic fuel shortage, as the country has restricted exports of gasoline, diesel fuel and jet fuel.
What happened to the Syzran refinery
According to the sources, several facilities at the Syzran refinery were damaged in a drone attack. These included the main CDU-6 crude oil distillation unit, with a capacity of 17,100 metric tons per day. That represents about 71% of the refinery’s processing capacity.
The sources said repairs at the refinery could take at least a month.
The refinery’s second crude oil distillation unit, CDU-5, has a capacity of 7,100 tons per day, or 29% of total capacity. It was already undergoing repairs after a drone attack in July.
Saratov comes under drone attack
The Saratov refinery halted crude oil processing on September 11 following another drone attack.
Sources said the refinery had also suspended operations on September 8 after a drone attack caused equipment damage and fires.
The facility had been preparing to resume crude processing on September 10-11.
The Saratov oil refinery was also shut down for several weeks following a drone attack on August 2.
Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that Saratov region in Russia came under a drone attack overnight on September 11. In addition to the refinery, a fire broke out at an OZON logistics hub.
It was also reported that overnight on September 15, Ukraine’s Defense Forces struck an oil refinery in Russia’s Samara region and the Atlant Aero facility in Taganrog. The target was the Syzran oil refinery, where a fire broke out following the strike.
