Drone attack forces Russia’s Orsk refinery to halt operations

Russia’s mid-sized Orsknefteorgsintez oil refinery halted processing on August 11 following a fire caused by a Ukrainian drone attack, according to two industry sources cited by Reuters.

The sources said drones struck the refinery, which is located about 1,900 kilometres east of the Ukrainian border. Ukraine’s military confirmed the strike.

According to the industry sources, the attack damaged several refining units at the facility. Forteinvest, the company that owns the refinery, did not respond to a request for comment.

Ukraine has intensified its drone campaign against Russian energy infrastructure this year, targeting refineries, pipelines and ports and contributing to a fuel shortage in Russia.

The Orsk refinery has a nameplate processing capacity of 5.76 million metric tons of crude oil per year, equivalent to around 115,200 barrels per day.

The facility processed 4.2 million tons of crude oil in 2024, producing 1.8 million tons of diesel, 600,000 tons of gasoline, 500,000 tons of bitumen and 200,000 tons of fuel oil, according to the industry sources.

By Jeyhun Aghazada