The Ryazan Oil Refinery in Russia has ceased operations after Ukrainian drone strikes, according to industry sources cited by Reuters on January 27.
Ukrainian drones struck the facility on January 24 and 26, causing large fires. Over the past year, Ukraine has escalated its long-range drone attacks on military and fuel infrastructure within Russia, heavily impacting fuel and ammunition supplies vital to the Russian military. Many of these strikes have targeted Russian bomb storage sites at airbases, ammunition stockpiles, and fuel processing and storage facilities deep within Russian territory.
Two industry sources reported that the attack caused fires in the facility’s oil storage area and damaged vital equipment, including a railway loading rack and a hydrotreater unit, which is crucial for removing impurities from refined products.
Industry sources suggested that other refineries in Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, and Yaroslavl could offset the disruption by boosting their fuel output.
In 2024, the Ryazan facility processed 13.1 million tons (262,000 barrels per day), accounting for nearly 5% of Russia’s total refining capacity. Its yearly output included 2.2 million tons of gasoline, 3.4 million tons of diesel, 4.3 million tons of fuel oil, and 1 million tons of jet fuel.
