ORSK, Russia — A Ukrainian drone strike has forced the shutdown of a major Russian oil refinery in the Orenburg region, with repairs expected to take as long as six months, according to regional authorities and industry sources, in the latest disruption to Russia’s fuel-processing network.
The Orsknefteorgsintez refinery halted operations after the Aug. 11 attack damaged key infrastructure and refining units, Russian regional Governor Yevgeny Solntsev said. The facility is located near Russia’s border with Kazakhstan, about 1,900 km from Ukraine, according to industry sources cited by Reuters.
Solntsev said on Aug. 13 that the damage was severe enough to require an extended repair period. He said the refinery’s dependence on equipment affected by Western sanctions could complicate restoration and extend the shutdown to as long as six months, according to the governor’s statement reported by Reuters.
The refinery processes about 6 million metric tons of crude oil annually, producing gasoline, diesel, aviation fuel and other petroleum products, Reuters reported. Industry sources separately estimated its annual capacity at about 5.76 million metric tons, or roughly 115,000 barrels per day.
The attack has also contributed to fuel-supply pressure in the Orenburg region. Solntsev said only about 80% of the region’s 287 filling stations were operating, with emergency and specialized vehicles receiving priority, Reuters reported. He said the situation remained under control.
Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian energy infrastructure as part of a long-range campaign aimed at disrupting fuel production and imposing economic costs on Moscow. Kyiv has claimed responsibility for several recent attacks on refineries and related facilities, while Russia has generally described the strikes as Ukrainian drone attacks and reported interceptions by its air defenses.
The Orsk strike came amid a broader reduction in Russia’s refined-product exports. Reuters reported that Russian seaborne oil-product exports fell 33.3% in July from the previous month and 54.7% from July 2025, with industry sources attributing the decline partly to unplanned refinery maintenance following Ukrainian drone attacks.
As of Aug. 14, the Orsk refinery remained shut, with repairs expected to determine when processing can resume. No independent assessment of the full extent of the damage was immediately available.
