Russia’s Kuibyshev mid-sized oil refinery, located near Samara on the Volga river, has ceased all production activities following damage inflicted by a Ukrainian drone attack last week, as confirmed by two industry sources to Reuters on Thursday. The refinery’s operational standstill adds to the challenges faced by the Russian oil refining sector, which has been grappling with disruptions and emergency repairs in the aftermath of multiple drone attacks attributed to Ukraine.
Approximately 14% of Russia’s refining capacity has been impacted by these drone attacks, with Kuibyshev among the facilities affected, prompting the country to increase gasoline imports from Belarus to mitigate potential fuel shortages. In response to the supply disruptions, Russia implemented a six-month ban on gasoline exports starting from March 1 to stabilize domestic fuel prices. Recent reports indicate that Kuibyshev’s primary refining units, CDU-5 and CDU-4, have been halted due to operational constraints. While CDU-5 sustained damage from the drone attack, CDU-4 remains non-operational due to its technical interdependence with the affected unit.
Despite these challenges, some relief was observed in the sector as operations resumed at a unit within the Ryazan oil plant, a larger facility compared to Kuibyshev. Last year, Kuibyshev refinery ranked as Russia’s 29th largest oil refinery by output, contributing significantly to the country’s refining throughput and production of gasoline, diesel, and fuel oil. Energy Minister Nikolai Shulginov affirmed that Russia’s refining production forecast for 2024 remains steady around 5.5 million barrels per day, underscoring the sector’s resilience amid operational disruptions and geopolitical uncertainties.