Ukrainian drone strike paralyzes Russia's Volgograd oil refinery, Reuters reports
Photo: The oil refinery in Volgograd has suspended operations after a Ukrainian drone strike (Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations in the Volgograd region)
The oil refinery in Volgograd has suspended operations after a Ukrainian drone strike, Reuters reports.
Read also: Ukrainian forces hit strategic Russian refinery in record-setting strike
According to two sources who spoke to the outlet, the Ukrainian strike damaged key equipment at the refinery — the CDU-1 crude distillation unit, which accounts for about 40% of the plant’s capacity.
The CDU-1 unit has a processing capacity of approximately 18,600 tons per day, or about 140,000 barrels per day. Reuters reports that in 2024, the Volgograd refinery processed 13.5 million tons of crude oil, representing around 5% of Russia’s total refining output.
The plant is a major producer of fuel. Last year, it produced 6 million tons of diesel fuel, 1.9 million tons of gasoline, and 700,000 tons of fuel oil.
Strike on the Volgograd refinery
On the night of February 10–11, explosions were reported in Volgograd. Russian media reported an attack by unidentified drones.
Videos posted online showed a large fire following the strike. Reports also indicated that the local refinery had been targeted.
Later, Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed that on the night of February 11, Ukraine’s Defense Forces struck the Volgograd oil refinery, which is involved in supplying the Russian army.
Ukrainian military officials said a fire was recorded on the facility’s premises.
According to Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi, Ukrainian forces carried out 48 strikes on Russia’s oil and gas infrastructure in January alone. The systematic attacks led to a significant reduction in the enemy’s capacity. Russia’s overall oil refining output has decreased by 19%.
