Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
Three of the four crude oil destillation units of the refinery were damaged in a recent attack, sources say.
Following a Ukrainian attack, Russia’s second-largest oil refinery, Kirishi, has suspended operations, sources within the industry told Reuters on May 5.
The shutdown followed a coordinated assault from the sky, where Ukrainian drones hit the sprawling plant in the Leningrad region 800 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, causing severe structural damage.
According to Reuters‘ sources, three of the facility’s four crude oil destillation units where damaged by Ukrainian drones in the attack, and several secondary units were reportedly also damages.
Officials in Kyiv quickly took full responsibility for the destruction with the Security Service of Ukraine announcing its elite Alpha unit carried out the complex mission alongside special forces.
All part of Ukraine’s plan
Ukraine is wrecking havoc on the Russian oil and gas industry with long-range strikes, and since the beginning of 2026, the Ukrainian campaign has stepped up.
On May 4, Ukrainska Pravda reported that Ukraine had carried out more than 20 strikes on Russian oil infrastructure since the beginning of the year, causing damage and losses of more than $7 billion.
Oil and gas export is crucial for the Russian economy. According to The Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, oil and gas revenue made up between 30 and 50% of Russia’s total federal budget revenue over the past ten years.
By targeting this industry, Ukraine hopes to bleed the Russian war machine of money, potentially forcing Putin to stop the war.
The economic toll
Reuters’ sources say, that it is difficult to estimate a timeframe for reparis, and while the refinery is sitting silent, the Russian economy is bleeding moey
Last year alone, the facility processed over seventeen million tonnes of raw crude oil and has allegedly accounted for about 7% of Russia’s total oil refining volumes in recent years.
Sources: Reuters, NASA FIRMS, Governor Alexander Drozdenko, Security Service of Ukraine, The Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, The Washington Post
