A major oil refinery in northwestern Russia has suspended operations after it was damaged in a Ukrainian drone strike earlier this week, Reuters reported on Tuesday, citing two industry sources familiar with the matter.
Ukraine’s military said it hit the Kirishnefteorgsintez refinery, located not far from St. Petersburg in the wider Leningrad region, during an attack between Monday night and Tuesday morning.
Leningrad region Governor Alexander Drozdenko confirmed the facility was targeted and that a fire had broken out as a result of a Ukrainian drone strike.
Industry sources told Reuters that three of the refinery’s four crude distillation units and several secondary units were damaged in the attack. It was not immediately clear how long it would take to repair the units, which are critical for production.
Kirishinefteorgsintez, a key supplier of diesel for Russian and export markets, is a subsidiary of the oil and gas company Surgutneftegaz. In 2024, the refinery was estimated to have processed nearly 7% of Russia’s total oil refining volume, or 350,000 barrels per day.
Surgutneftegaz has not commented on the reported suspension of operations at the Kirishi refinery, which has come under attack several times already this year.
Ukraine has intensified its strikes on Russian oil export infrastructure in recent months, damaging major facilities on both the Baltic and Black Seas.
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