Ukraine reported that it attacked two major Russian oil refineries overnight, marking the first such strikes in nearly two weeks.
Ukrainian forces targeted the Rosneft oil refinery in Ryazan, located about 120 kilometers (75 miles) from Moscow, and the Lukoil refinery in Perm, approximately 1,500 kilometers east of the Russian capital, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky on his Telegram channel. The General Staff of Ukraine in a separate statement reported that the attack on the Ryazan facility resulted in a fire, but did not provide further details.
The Ryazan oil refinery, which resumed operations earlier this month after an attack in mid-May, has a design capacity of around 340,000 barrels of crude oil per day. The Perm facility, also targeted by Ukrainian drones this year, can process approximately 260,000 barrels per day. Companies Rosneft and Lukoil did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Bloomberg.
Satellite Data and Shift in Attack Focus
Satellite images of the Ryazan refinery, available on July 29 from NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS), show a thermal anomaly at the edge of the facility, which may indicate a fire. However, since the data reflects activity over the previous 24 hours, it is unclear whether the anomaly is related to the overnight attack or reflects normal plant operations. More recent NASA FIRMS images for this facility are not yet available.
NASA FIRMS satellite images of the Perm refinery show three fresh thermal anomalies on the facility’s grounds. Ukraine intensified strikes on Russia’s oil refining industry from May to mid-July to limit its ability to process crude oil and produce fuel. These strikes contributed to a gasoline shortage across the country, forcing most regions to implement rationing. The government in Moscow imposed a temporary ban on the export of most gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel.
However, over the past two weeks, Ukraine has shifted its primary focus to attacks on commercial vessels in the Black and Azov Seas. As a result, several Russian oil refineries were able to resume operations, alleviating the domestic fuel shortage. Earlier this week, some regions lifted or eased rationing restrictions.
Meanwhile, Russia has been targeting key Ukrainian ports and vessels in the Black Sea, suspending some cargo loadings.
Source: Bloomberg
