Ukraine renews strikes on Russian refineries, hits six plants in a week

Ukraine has resumed strikes on Russian oil refineries, carrying out about six successful attacks in one week. The strikes target key plants across multiple Russian regions, marking a renewed campaign after a nearly two-week pause. The new strategy shifts from destroying expensive catalytic cracking units to targeting inter-shop pipelines across entire refinery territories. This approach disrupts plant operations more effectively as Russian refineries have shifted to producing lower-quality fuel, making precision strikes on high-tech equipment less impactful. Russia's refining output fell to 3.8 million barrels daily in June, a 20-year low, with economic losses estimated at $23 billion. Fuel prices have risen about 20 percent this year, forcing Russia to import fuel from Belarus, Kazakhstan, and even India-made gasoline from its own oil.