The Moscow refinery, which processed around 11.6 million tons of crude oil in 2024, halted production after a Ukrainian drone attack on Sunday, May 17. The plant in Ryazan had already been shut down following an attack on May 15. Both facilities are among the most important fuel suppliers for the Russian capital and the surrounding regions.
According to two industry sources cited by Reuters, the physical damage to the Moscow refinery was minor. However, the operators shut the plant down “as a precautionary measure to minimize risk.” Restarting operations could take several days. The refinery in southeastern Moscow is operated by Gazpromneft and supplies the capital with gasoline, diesel, and bitumen.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said a drone crashed near the refinery. Preliminary reports indicate twelve people were injured, including construction workers at the plant site. The Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian energy infrastructure are part of Kyiv’s military strategy to disrupt fuel supplies for the Russian army.
Source: www.kyivpost.com
