Ukraine's 1,500KM-Strike May Just Have Disrupted a Quarter of Russia's Oil Refinery Capacity

Ukrainian long-range drones have struck targets more than 1,500 kilometres inside Russia, temporarily knocking out what Kyiv estimates is about a quarter of the country's oil refining capacity, according to the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU). The strikes form part of a widening campaign to hit the economic infrastructure underpinning Moscow's war effort.

Russian refineries forced to fully or partially halt operations this year have a combined annual capacity of more than 83 million metric tons, equivalent to around 238,000 tons a day.

Together, these refineries account for more than 30 per cent of the country's petrol output and around a quarter of its diesel. A series of Ukrainian attacks prompted Moscow to ban petrol exports from April through the end of July this year.

Deep-Strike Campaign Hits Perm Refinery

The Lukoil-Permnefteorgsintez refinery in Perm, more than 1,500 kilometres from the Ukrainian border, has become a key target in Ukraine's deep-strike campaign.

With an annual processing capacity of 13.1 million tons, or around 226,000 barrels a day, Lukoil-Permnefteorgsintez ranks among Russia's largest and most efficient refineries. The plant accounted for 7.3 per cent of the country's liquefied petroleum gas exports in the first half of 2025.

Ukrainian drones struck the facility on April 29, July 29 and August 21, damaging key processing units and setting fuel storage tanks ablaze. The fires burned for days, with NASA satellite images showing a smoke plume stretching around 130 kilometres east of the city.

Emergency broadcasts over outdoor loudspeakers instructed residents to close windows, avoid going outside and drink only boiled water. Regional governor Dmitry Makhonin denied any hazardous chemical release, claiming the emergency broadcast was a routine 'test'.

Major Refineries Across Central Russia in the Firing Line

Beyond Perm, Ukraine's strikes have hit some of Russia's biggest refineries.

The 20‑million‑ton Kirishi refinery was completely shut down on May 5, while the 17‑million‑ton NORSI plant in Nizhny Novgorod was struck on May 20.

Refineries in Tuapse, Ryazan, Yaroslavl and Moscow have also been hit or forced to cut production.

The campaign has also spread beyond Russia's biggest refineries, with Ukrainian drones increasingly targeting the wider network that moves and exports the country's oil.

The Orsk refinery was struck on April 29, 2026, in the same wave of deep strikes that hit the Perm facility. Further south, the Afipsky refinery in Krasnodar has been targeted repeatedly, including in a drone attack in February.

The campaign has now reached Russia's oil export routes. Strikes have hit the Baltic port of Primorsk, where three tankers linked to Russia's so‑called shadow fleet were reportedly targeted. In the Black Sea, disruption around Novorossiysk has seen oil exports fall for five consecutive weeks.

Kremlin Responds With Emergency Seizure Decree

On 24 August 2026, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree permitting the Russian government to seize or take control of private infrastructure deemed vulnerable to drone attack. The order applies to companies including Lukoil, operator of the Perm refinery, and e‑commerce firms Wildberries and Ozon.

Shares in Ozon fell by as much as 28 per cent on the Moscow Exchange following overnight drone strikes on four of its logistics hubs. The SBU has described the warehouse strikes as targeting 'dual-use' logistics networks accused of supplying helmets, body armour, radios and drone components to the Russian military.

Air Defences Struggle To Contain Drone Threat

Russia's difficulty intercepting drones travelling deep into its territory has highlighted the limits of its air defence network. Analysts say the country's size creates an attack surface too vast to protect completely.

The SBU stated the campaign is designed to demonstrate that Russia 'no longer has a safe rear' and that distance no longer guarantees protection for enterprises supporting the war.

Oil and gas taxes provide roughly a quarter of the Kremlin's federal revenue. Sustained disruption to Russia's refining capacity therefore threatens to put pressure on Moscow's ability to finance its military operations.