A drone attack knocked out the CDU-6 distillation unit at Rosneft’s Saratov refinery, halting its ability to process 20,000 metric tons of crude oil every day. This effectively stopped all crude operations at one of Russia’s oldest and most strategic refineries.
In 2023, the Saratov plant handled 4.8 million metric tons of crude oil, contributing significantly to Russia's fuel supply. Since the strike on July 7-8, no fuel products from this refinery have appeared on the St. Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange, signaling a serious disruption in domestic fuel availability. This attack follows an earlier drone strike on the same facility in May, showing Ukraine’s deliberate targeting of key energy infrastructure deep inside Russian territory.
Ukrainian operations in 2026 have reportedly disabled over 30% of Russia’s oil refining capacity, which undermines Russia’s military logistics and internal fuel supplies. The absence of fuel deliveries is expected to tighten supply and potentially drive up domestic prices if the Saratov refinery remains offline for long.
This material is informational and not financial advice.
