Ukraine's intel confirms shutdown of major oil refinery in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod region
Photo: The Kstovo oil refinery has suspended operations (Russian media)
Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) has evidence that one of Russia's largest oil refineries in the Nizhny Novgorod region has suspended operations following a successful strike, according to the Exile Nova Telegram channel and a statement by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Impact of the strike on the Kstovo refinery
The facility in question is the Kstovo refinery (Lukoil-Nizhny Novgorodnefteorgsintez), one of the four largest oil refineries in Russia.
The plant processed around 17 million metric tons of crude oil annually.
According to military intelligence, the refinery's AVT-6 processing unit, a critical component of its refining operations, has been shut down.
Several construction cranes have now been spotted around the burned-out unit, indicating that Russian authorities are attempting to carry out repair work.
In addition to the Kstovo refinery, several other Russian oil-processing facilities have also reportedly been forced to suspend operations.
Photo: aftermath of the strike on the Kstovo oil refinery (t.me/exilenova_plus)
What is known about the Kstovo refinery
The Kstovo oil refinery (Lukoil-Nizhny Novgorodnefteorgsintez) is one of the largest oil-refining facilities in Russia.
The plant has a processing capacity of about 17 million metric tons of crude oil per year.
By refining volume, it ranks roughly fourth among Russia's oil refineries.
Strikes on Russia's oil infrastructure
Earlier, Ukraine's General Staff confirmed that the Defense Forces had struck the Slavneft-YANOS refinery in Yaroslavl, which is considered one of the largest oil refineries in Russia.
RBC-Ukraine also previously reported that Ukrainian drones have been systematically targeting critical facilities within Russia's fuel and energy sector.
As a result of these strikes, primary oil-processing units at several Russian refineries have reportedly been taken offline, causing major disruptions to fuel production.
