Ukrainian drones targeted the Afipsky oil refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar region for the second time within a month, according to regional officials on Thursday.
One of the drones crashed onto a unit at the refinery, igniting a fire that spanned 30 square meters before being swiftly brought under control. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries.
The Afipsky refinery, one of the largest facilities in southern Russia, has an annual crude processing capacity of 9.1 million tons and operates two main processing units.
The facility was first hit by drones on August 28, following an earlier attack on August 7 that led to the shutdown of one of its units. Additionally, on August 30, drones struck the nearby Krasnodar refinery, which is associated with Afipsky.
Since early August, Ukraine has increased its assaults on Russian oil infrastructure, effectively crippling at least five major refineries.
Calculations by Reuters indicate that these attacks have resulted in a 17% reduction in Russia’s refining capacity, equating to approximately 1.1 million barrels daily.
Industry insiders shared with the Kommersant business daily that gasoline production has decreased by about 10%.
Over 300 gas stations throughout Russia have shut down, with numerous regions implementing restrictions of 10-20 liters per customer. Since the beginning of the year, wholesale gasoline prices have surged by 40-50%.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that U.S. President Donald Trump had endorsed the attacks on Russian energy facilities, characterizing Washington’s approach as an “eye-for-an-eye” policy.
After discussing with Zelensky, Trump informed reporters that Russia was dealing with a fuel crisis and facing “significant issues” economically.
