One of Russia’s largest refineries stops operating after drone strike

According to the sources, the attack forced the shutdown of the refinery’s main processing unit as well as another primary distillation unit.

The main unit, where a fire broke out during the strike, is capable of processing 8 million metric tons of oil a year, or about 160,000 barrels a day. That accounts for nearly half the plant’s total capacity, the sources said.

The second unit can process 4 million tons of oil a year. A third primary unit has already been undergoing maintenance since mid-May.

According to the sources, repairs to the damaged units could take several weeks.

The Ryazan refinery processed 13.1 million tons of crude in 2024, equal to about 4.9% of Russia’s total refining output, Reuters reported.

On Sept. 6, local Russian channels said drones had attacked the Ryazan refinery during the night. Fire Point later confirmed the strike and said Ukraine’s Defense Forces had used an FP-1 drone to hit the plant.

Ukraine’s General Staff also confirmed the refinery strike.

In addition, overnight into Sept. 6, Ukraine’s Defense Forces struck the Rostov-on-Don airfield in Russia’s Rostov Oblast.

Ukrainian forces also hit a Podlyot radar station and two Pantsir-S1 air defense missile and gun systems in the same region.