Gazprom’s Astrakhan Gas Processing Plant has halted operations for at least several months after sustaining severe damage from a Ukrainian drone strike overnight on 3 February, Reuters reported, citing three industry sources, according to The Moscow Times. The attack ignited a large fire at the facility, which is a key producer of gasoline, diesel fuel, and sulfur used in explosives.
The fire broke out in the plant’s stable condensate processing unit, labeled U-1.731, according to industry insiders. Sources told Reuters that repairing the damaged unit, which has an annual processing capacity of three million tons, will take no less than three months.
“The situation is bad – shutdown will last at least three months. Further assessments will determine the exact timeline,” one source stated.
Another source confirmed that a commission is evaluating the damage, but preliminary reports suggest that full production may not resume before July.
The Moscow Times says the strike has disrupted fuel distribution, with wholesale trading of gasoline and diesel from the Astrakhan refinery being suspended at the Saint Petersburg International Commodity Exchange. On 3 February, traders received official notifications halting fuel transactions due to the shutdown.
Drones attack Russia’s largest oil and gas facilities in Volgograd, Astrakhan to disrupt their military use
This is not the first time Ukrainian drones have targeted infrastructure in the region. In July 2024, an attack struck a missile testing range in Astrakhan Oblast, damaging assembly and testing facilities in Akhtubinsk District. On the same night as the latest refinery strike, Ukrainian drones also hit a Lukoil refinery in Volgograd.
Escalation in drone strikes on Russian refineries
Last year, Ukraine intensified its long-range drone attacks against the military and fuel facilities within Russia, significantly disrupting fuel and ammunition supplies crucial for the Russian military. Many of such attacks targeted Russian bomb warehouses at airbases, ammunition depots, fuel processing and storage facilities deep inside Russia.
Since the beginning of 2025, Ukraine has intensified drone attacks on Russian energy infrastructure even more. According to reports, Ukrainian drones have hit Russian refineries and processing plants at least seven times this year, including:
- 31 January: Attack on an oil refinery in Volgograd Oblast
- 29 January: Two drone strikes on refineries in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast
- 24 and 26 January: Strikes on a Ryazan Oblast refinery
- 11 January: Attack on a refinery in Tatarstan
In 2024, at least 15 major refineries across Russia were targeted by Ukrainian drones, including facilities owned by Lukoil, Gazprom Neft, and Rosneft. These attacks led to a drop in Russia’s oil refining output to a 12-year low of 267 million tons and reduced fuel exports by 9%, reaching 62 million tons.
Related:
- Drones attack Russia’s largest oil and gas facilities in Volgograd, Astrakhan to disrupt their military use
- Ukraine strikes major Lukoil refinery in Volgograd Oblast in continued drone attack spree
- Frontline report: Ukraine wipes out three Russian air defense divisions in three days
- Russian gas giant Gazprom plans to reduce central office staff by 40%
- Ukrainian opposition introduces bill to ban Russian oil transit
- “Historic event”: Ukraine halts Russian gas flow to Europe
- Ukrainian drones strike Russia’s fourth-largest oil refinery in 800km range attack
- Russia’s Ryazan oil refinery suspends work after Ukrainian drone attacks
- Ukrainian drones strike oil refinery in Ryazan, microelectronics plant in Bryansk
- Fire erupts on Russia’s Lukoil oil refinery previously struck by Ukrainian drones
- Drones strike major Russian oil refinery in Tatarstan
- Frontline report: Ukrainian deep strikes inside Russia cripple logistics and military command
