масштабные drone attacks on Russian refineries: impact on Russia’s oil product exports and Ukraine’s strategic response
In recent months, Ukrainian drones have been actively striking key oil refining facilities across Russia, significantly impacting the country’s oil product exports.
According to industry sources and analysts, these attacks caused Russia’s oil product exports to decrease by nearly 17% in September compared to the previous month, amounting to approximately 7.58 million tons.
This decline is particularly notable given the unplanned shutdowns of several major plants, which led to reduced domestic fuel supplies, rising prices, and increased crude oil shipments.
Consequently, a significant portion of petroleum products no longer reaches international markets via Baltic ports such as Primorsk, Vysotsk, Saint Petersburg, and Ust-Luga, with shipments down 15.4% month-on-month to 4.36 million tons.
Exports through Black Sea and Sea of Azov ports also fell by over 23%, totaling 2.52 million tons, while Arctic ports of Murmansk and Arkhangelsk saw a slight increase of 1.8%, reaching approximately 30,200 tons.
Expert analysis and Reuters data indicate that oil exports from Russia’s Far Eastern ports declined by 1.5%, reflecting strategic shifts due to Ukrainian attacks.
These strikes are fundamentally altering Russia’s energy landscape, prompting the country to seek new avenues for supply recovery and production stabilization.
For instance, since September, efforts to restore damaged facilities have intensified amid rising production costs.
Notably, the attack on October 13 on the largest oil terminal in Crimea caused fires and damage to multiple tanks, heightening concern internationally and putting additional pressure on Russia’s energy security.
Ukraine’s continued tactical strikes demonstrate strategic efficacy, challenging the resilience of Russia’s energy infrastructure and forcing Moscow to adapt to new operational realities amidst ongoing conflict.