Ukrainian drone strikes hit the “Lukoil-Volgogradneftepererabotka” refinery in Volgograd on Friday triggering a fire across the industrial zone.
The facility belongs to “Lukoil” and has operated since 1957. It has a processing capacity of 14.8 million tons of crude annually. It produces motor gasoline, diesel fuel, aviation fuel, mazut, petroleum coke, bitumen, and base oils to supply southern regions of Russia.
Governor Andrey Bocharov confirmed the drone attack. Falling drone debris started local fires at the industrial plant in southern Volgograd. ASTRA said local residents formed queues at Lukoil gas stations following the overnight strike and fire.
The plant “is forced to suspend operations”, according to information gathered by the Exilenova+ OSINT community. The facility previously sustained a confirmed strike on October 2, after which explosions and a fire halted its crude processing operations.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that “the Defense Forces are systematically putting Russian oil refining out of service” across the country. Between October 30 and November 11, Ukrainian forces targeted five of Russia’s largest refineries: Omsk, Kirishi, Ryazan, Nizhny Novgorod, and Yaroslavl. They also targeted smaller processing facilities.
Fire Point said the total nominal processing capacity of the Russian plants targeted over the 13-day period exceeds 120 million tons of oil per year. That accounts for over 36% of Russia’s total refining capability. The 2,500-kilometer range of the strikes reached the Omsk refinery on November 11. An extensive blaze ignited at Russia’s most powerful refinery there. It possesses a capacity exceeding 21 million tons annually and a conversion depth of 99 percent.
Additional targets included the Kirishi refinery (KINEF) in the Leningrad Region, struck on November 9. It handles 20 million tons of oil per year and accounts for more than 6% of national oil processing. The attack damaged its atmospheric distillation unit, primary processing facilities, and two cooling systems.
Other strategic facilities struck during the campaign included the Kstovo refinery (NORSI) in the Nizhny Novgorod region. They also struck the Yaroslavl refinery (Slavneft-YANOZ), the Ryazan refinery, and the Afipsky refinery in the Krasnodar Territory. The Ufa refinery complex in Bashkortostan was another target.
In the port zones, Ukrainian strikes also targeted Ust-Luga on the Baltic Sea on November 9. This damaged five oil product storage tanks holding a combined volume of 150,000 cubic meters. They also struck the small missile ship Naro-Fominsk, which carries Kalibr and Onyx cruise missiles.
Further precision strikes hit the M.V. Morozov plant near Saint Petersburg, which is connected to military production. Fuel sales limitations were reintroduced in at least six Russian regions. These regions include Karelia, where Rosneft stations capped gasoline at 30 liters and diesel at 50 liters with bans on portable jerrycans. Similar restrictions hit Ulan-Ude, Buryatia, the Nizhny Novgorod region, Penza, Arkhangelsk, and Krasnoyarsk.
Ukrainian military officials said that “strikes on primary processing units reduce fuel production for the Russian army and decrease revenues with which Russia funds the war. Distance no longer saves them: whether it is Siberia or closer regions of the Russian Federation, Ukrainian soldiers reach the enemy wherever they forge their war”.
Independent analysis from Reuters on November 10 indicated that the drone campaign has reduced Russia’s refining capacity by nearly 30% and brought fuel sales limits to many regions.
I do not know what can force Putin to abandon his aggressive plans, but the strategy chosen by the Defense Forces is yielding results.
Pavlo Lakiychuk
