Ukraine Drone Strike Knocks Out Russia's Novoshakhtinsk Refinery
Ukraine struck the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in Russia's Rostov region with drones, forcing the facility offline, regional governor Yury Slyusar said. The plant, which can process about 110,000 barrels per day, was damaged in the attack amid an ongoing campaign of strikes on energy infrastructure by both sides.
Why It Matters
The attack is part of a broader Ukrainian effort to degrade Russian refining capacity, which has contributed to domestic fuel shortages and prompted Russia to curb diesel exports. Continued strikes on energy facilities affect regional fuel supplies and have ripple effects on global middle-distillate markets.
Key Facts
- Date reported: Friday (reported early Friday on Telegram)
- Location: Novoshakhtinsk refinery, Rostov region, southern Russia
- Source: Regional governor Yury Slyusar (Telegram)
- Refinery capacity: 110,000 barrels per day
- Related recent attacks: Refinery in Yaroslavl hit by drones last week; oil processing plant near Moscow damaged (co-owned by Rosneft and Gazprom Neft)
A drone assault on the Novoshakhtinsk refinery in Russia's Rostov region forced the plant to halt operations after sustaining damage, regional governor Yury Slyusar said in a Telegram post early Friday. The facility has a processing capacity of about 110,000 barrels of crude oil per day. Local authorities reported the outage following the drone strikes. The incident follows a string of recent attacks by Ukrainian forces on Russian fuel infrastructure, part of a campaign intended to reduce Russia's refining output and constrain fuel supplies. Last week, Ukrainian drones struck an oil refinery in Yaroslavl and damaged a processing unit near Moscow that is co-owned by Rosneft and Gazprom Neft, according to reporting cited by the source. Russian authorities have linked reduced refinery production to persistent shortages of diesel and gasoline domestically, and the government imposed a diesel export ban in July. Reports cited in the source say Moscow has been extending export restrictions—initially through September 30—and one Russian outlet, Vedomosti, reported the ban could be extended to October 31 as refinery maintenance is delayed and stocks are rebuilt ahead of winter. The exchanges of strikes on energy facilities show both Kyiv and Moscow continue to target infrastructure despite separate diplomatic contacts with U.S. officials aimed at de-escalation. Observers cited in the reporting say the reductions in Russian refining output, coupled with export curbs, have tightened global middle-distillate markets alongside other supply pressures in the Middle East.