Russia slashes oil output as drone strikes hit key ports, refineries

Russian oil companies have been forced to reduce ​oil output in April due to Ukrainian drone attacks on ports and refineries, as well as a halt to crude ‌supplies via the only remaining Russian oil pipeline to Europe, according to five sources and Reuters calculations.

In what may be the steepest monthly drop in Russian oil output since the COVID-19 pandemic, production is estimated to have fallen by around 300,000 to 400,000 barrels per day in April compared with the average levels recorded earlier this year, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"Against the backdrop of ongoing attacks on Russia's ports and refineries, it will be difficult to place oil without cutting output, especially with upcoming spring maintenance shutdowns," one of the sources told Reuters on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation.

Other sources said all key Russian oil terminals are still operating at reduced capacity or facing delays.

Major Baltic Sea ports, including Primorsk and Ust-Luga, were hit by a series of strikes in the spring, damaging transhipment infrastructure, pipelines, and storage tanks.

The Sheskharis terminal in Novorossiysk — a key Black Sea export hub handling around 700,000 barrels per day — suspended operations on April 6 after a drone strike caused a fire at port infrastructure. Although partial operations resumed on April 10, export volumes remain reduced, according to sources.

The Ust-Luga port restarted oil exports on April 7 after nearly two weeks of suspension, but delays in cargo handling persist, the sources added.

Meanwhile, crude flows through the southern branch of the Druzhba pipeline, supplying Urals oil to Hungary and Slovakia at a rate of 150,000–200,000 barrels per day, were halted at the end of January 2026.

By Jeyhun Aghazada