A Ukrainian drone strike has forced Russia’s Volgograd oil refinery to suspend operations after a fire broke out at the facility, sources told Reuters on Thursday. The Lukoil-operated plant, one of Russia’s largest, reportedly suffered damage to key processing units in the strike earlier reported by the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
The attack is part of Ukraine’s ongoing campaign to disrupt Russia’s oil refining capacity - a strategy aimed at undermining the Kremlin’s ability to fuel its military and generate export revenue. Since late 2023, Kyiv has intensified long-range drone operations deep inside Russian territory, targeting refineries, depots, and fuel pipelines that sustain Moscow’s war effort.
According to three sources cited by Reuters, the Volgograd refinery halted work after its CDU-5 primary processing unit and hydrocracker were damaged. The CDU-5, with a daily capacity of 66,700 barrels, represents around a fifth of the refinery’s output.
The refinery processed 13.7 million metric tons of crude in 2024, about 5% of Russia’s total refining capacity.
Russian officials said Ukraine launched at least 75 drones overnight on Thursday, triggering explosions and fires in several regions.
The Volgograd refinery attack follows a series of high-impact strikes that have temporarily shut down or disrupted operations at major facilities across Russia.
