Moscow Oil Refinery faces six-month shutdown after damage
One of the explosions at the Moscow Oil Refinery may have been caused by Russian air defenses (Photo: Exilenova + /Telegram)
Moscow's oil refinery will remain offline for at least six months after sustaining heavy damage in Ukrainian drone attacks, complicating Russia's efforts to address fuel shortages, Reuters reported, citing sources on June 24.
The refinery, located on the southern outskirts of the Russian capital, is the largest supplier of fuel to Moscow Oblast. It was hit twice by Ukrainian drones in June, forcing it to suspend operations.
“Repairs will take at least six months,” one source said of the damage to the Moscow Oil Refinery.
Gazprom Neft, which operates the facility, did not respond to a request for comment.
The Moscow refinery processed 11.6 million metric tons of crude oil in 2024, producing 2.9 million tons of gasoline and 3.2 million tons of diesel fuel.
Facing a fuel shortage, Russia is considering banning diesel exports, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on June 23.
As previously reported, drones operated by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) struck the Moscow Oil Refinery on June 16, damaging what officials described as the facility’s “heart” — a key primary oil-processing unit. Reports said the refinery suspended operations following the attack.
Hundreds of drones targeted Moscow on the morning of June 18, with explosions reported across the city and videos circulating online showing large fires.
Ukraine’s Defense Forces later confirmed a second strike on Moscow’s largest oil refinery in the Kapotnya district, about 15 kilometers (9 miles) southeast of the Kremlin. Fires broke out in at least five locations at the facility, sending thick black smoke over parts of the Russian capital. Russian media described it as the largest attack on Moscow since the start of the war.
According to Ukraine’s General Staff, the strike damaged an integrated oil-processing unit, three RVS-10000 storage tanks and one RVS-30000 storage tank.
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