Following drone attacks, two Russian oil refineries have suspended operations
The Tuapse oil refinery, which focuses on exporting its products, halted operations following a drone attack on 16 April. According to industry sources, the plant is unable to ship its products due to a fire at the port. Russian officials reported that strikes on 16 and 20 April damaged the port’s transport infrastructure and caused oil product storage tanks to catch fire.
The Tuapse refinery is owned by Rosneft and has a capacity of around 12 million tonnes per year. Three tanks were damaged in the first strike, and the second strike caused a new fire. According to the Krasnodar Krai emergency response headquarters, one person was killed and two others were injured as a result of the attack. The fire could not be brought under control for several days, and smoke from the blaze spread along the Black Sea coast.
The Novokuybyshevsk oil refinery also suspended primary oil processing from 18 April following a drone attack. According to sources, key units at the plant were put out of action. In 2024, this refinery processed 5.74 million tonnes of oil and produced petrol, diesel fuel and fuel oil.
Strikes on oil refining and port infrastructure have affected seaborne oil exports from Russia, which have fallen to their lowest levels since the summer of 2024. Against this backdrop, a decline in oil production has also been recorded.
