Drone strike forces shutdown at Gazprom’s Astrakhan gas plant

Russia’s Astrakhan gas processing plant, operated by energy giant Gazprom, has suspended production of motor fuel following a fire triggered by a drone attack, industry sources told Reuters.

The incident occurred on September 22, when drones struck the facility located near the Caspian Sea, about 1,675 kilometres (1,040 miles) from the Ukrainian border. The blaze engulfed a condensate production unit with an annual capacity of 3 million metric tons, which supplies gasoline and diesel.

According to three industry sources, operations at the unit could remain suspended for weeks or even months before production is restored.

The St. Petersburg commodity exchange halted sales of wholesale fuel parcels from the Astrakhan plant starting Monday. Gazprom has not yet responded to Reuters’ request for comment.

Local governor Igor Babushkin confirmed via Telegram that an industrial enterprise in the region had been targeted by drones, without identifying the plant by name.

This is not the first time the Astrakhan facility has come under attack. In early February, drones also struck the site, halting fuel output. After extensive repairs, the damaged unit only resumed operations at the end of August.

Industry data shows that in 2024, the plant processed 1.8 million tons of stable condensate, producing 800,000 tons of gasoline, 600,000 tons of diesel, and 300,000 tons of fuel oil.

By Tamilla Hasanova