Ukrainian drone strikes cut Russian oil refining by 30%

Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil refineries have reduced Russia's refining capacity by approximately 30%, according to Reuters, citing industry sources. The strikes disrupted operations at nine of Russia's 35 largest refineries over the past week. The affected refineries, including three major plants in central Russia, have a combined daily capacity of about 300,000 metric tons (2.2 million barrels). Russia's total primary oil refining capacity is roughly 930,000 tons per day, but refineries processed only about 700,000 tons daily in late October, with actual reductions potentially reaching 200,000 tons per day. On November 9, a Ukrainian drone struck the Kirishi refinery, Russia's second-largest, causing a fire. President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv continues targeting oil-related facilities in response to Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure. Ukrainian intelligence reported that as of late September 2026, 15 of 38 major refineries were offline and 12 had reduced output, totaling a 55.4% decrease in refining volumes.