The Rosneft oil refinery in Saratov has temporarily suspended its main oil processing operations following drone attacks from Ukrainian forces that occurred on November 11. According to industry experts, the facility may remain shut down until the end of November.
This is reported by Finway
Drone Strikes and Production Consequences
Recently, Ukraine has intensified drone attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, particularly targeting oil refineries, oil storage facilities, and pipelines. This is aimed at weakening one of the main sources of funding for the Kremlin’s war efforts. According to statements from the Ukrainian army, the strikes on the Saratov refinery resulted in powerful explosions and large-scale fires on the plant’s premises.
“The Ukrainian army reported on Tuesday about strikes on the Saratov oil refinery. It noted that the attacks caused explosions and significant fires in the area of the plant.”
In addition to the strikes earlier in the week, the plant was targeted in another attack on Friday. According to eyewitness reports and videos shared on social media, a large oil storage tank at the facility caught fire.
Extent of Damage and Production Volumes
The refinery is equipped with a CDU-6 primary oil processing unit, which is the main technological hub of the facility. According to insiders, this equipment likely sustained damage as a result of the attacks. The designed capacity of the CDU-6 is approximately 20,000 metric tons, or 147,000 barrels of oil per day.
In 2024, the Saratov refinery processed 5.8 million tons of oil, which is equivalent to about 2.2% of the total oil processing volume in Russia. During this period, the plant produced 1.9 million tons of diesel fuel, 1.2 million tons of gasoline, and 1 million tons of fuel oil.