Ukraine Claims New Strike on Major Russia Oil-Export Refinery

(Bloomberg) – Ukraine said that Russia attacked the Kirishi oil refinery known as Kinf overnight in the Leningrad region, Kyiv for the second time in a month while pressure on Russian energy facilities continued.

Ukrainian general personnel on social media, “Ukrainian Defense Forces held a strike” led to explosion and fire. “Strike results are checked.”

Ukraine’s claim could not be confirmed independently.

The refinery belongs to Surgutnefttegas and is one of the largest Russia with an annual processing capacity of over 20 million tons. It is located about 100 kilometers southeast of St. Petersburg and 800 kilometers north of the Ukrainian border.

Regional Governor Alexander Drozdeno said in Telegram that the city of Kirishi was targeted with seven drones overnight. He reported a fire in an industrial zone, but did not specify what was targeted.

Kinef was recently attacked on September 14 and stopped a primary processing unit with a capacity of approximately 150,000 barrels per day. At that time, it is estimated that the repair work took about a month.

Ukraine, Kyiv has accelerated the attack on Russian refineries since August, trying to prevent energy revenues that feed the Kremlin’s war machine and limit fuel materials to the front.

Read: Russia escapes its rough export capacity between drone strikes

In the last two months, Ukraine has targeted at least 15 refinery in Russia’s European part. According to estimates from JPMorgan Chase & Co., Russian refinery runs have fallen below 5 million barrels per day, and approximately 500,000 barrels per day are limited based on historical data.

This made a fuel crisis even worse in Russia. The government in Moscow responded by prohibiting diesel exports for sellers by the end of this year, while a complete ban on gasoline sales abroad was extended until the end of 2025.

Kinef is not only one of the key exporters of Russia, but also to the domestic market. The country’s ability to direct crude oil to the global market is also decreasing.

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