Ukrainian drone campaign forces six major Russian refineries to halt operations in May 2026
Ukrainian drone strikes have forced six major Russian oil refineries to suspend operations in May 2026, affecting about a quarter of Russia's total refining capacity, according to industry sources and Ukrainian military officials. The campaign has expanded to include oil pumping stations and terminals, with seven pumping stations hit in the last two days alone. The financial impact is partially cushioned by an Iran-driven oil price spike that has boosted Russian oil tax revenue despite the capacity losses.
Ukrainian drone strikes have forced six major Russian oil refineries to suspend operations in May 2026, taking roughly a quarter of Russia's total refining capacity offline, according to industry sources and Ukrainian military officials.
The combined capacity of refineries that have fully or partially halted operations exceeds 83 million tonnes a year, or about 238,000 tonnes a day, amounting to approximately a quarter of Russia's total refining capacity. The affected refineries account for more than 30% of Russia's petrol production and about 25% of its diesel output.
Robert "Madiar" Brovdi, commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces (USF), said 10 major Russian oil facilities were hit in the first 20 days of May. Six of those refineries have been forced to halt operations, he said. The list includes only facilities targeted with USF participation, excluding strikes conducted by other Ukrainian military branches.
The Kirishi refinery in Leningrad Oblast, one of Russia's largest with a capacity of 20 million tonnes a year, has been completely shut down since 5 May, sources said. The Moscow refinery, owned by Gazpromneft, suspended operations after a drone strike on 17 May. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin earlier said a drone had crashed near the refinery; according to preliminary data cited by Sobyanin, 12 people were injured in the strike, most of them construction workers near the plant's entrance. Industry sources told Reuters the plant processed 11.6 million metric tons of crude oil in 2024.
The Ryazan refinery suspended operations after a Ukrainian drone strike on 15 May that ignited a major fire. Industry sources cited by Reuters said the refinery processed 13.1 million metric tons of crude oil in 2024.
The Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez refinery in Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, was struck on 18 May and again on 20 May — the fourth strike on the same plant in seven months. The plant has an annual primary refining capacity of about 17 million tonnes and supplies about 30% of Moscow Oblast's gasoline. Nizhny Novgorod Regional Governor Gleb Nikitin said drone debris had fallen in the Kstovsky district. "The fall of debris caused damage and subsequent fires at two industrial facilities," he said, adding that emergency services were working to contain the blaze. Nikitin said 30 drones were shot down over the Nizhny Novgorod region overnight and during the morning of 20 May. Schools in the district were moved to distance learning.
The campaign has expanded to include oil pumping stations and terminals. Seven oil pumping stations were hit in the last two days alone in Nizhny Novgorod, Ryazan, and Yaroslavl oblasts. Four storage tanks with a combined capacity of 140,000 cubic meters were damaged at the Yaroslavl-3 oil pumping station in Semibratovo, which Ukraine's General Staff described as "a key element of Russia's oil transportation system" supporting the country's military-industrial infrastructure.
The financial impact of the capacity losses is partially cushioned by an Iran-driven oil price spike that has boosted Russian oil tax revenue. The International Monetary Fund raised its 2026 Russia growth forecast to 1.1%, citing higher commodity prices. March oil-extraction taxes doubled to about $9 billion against February on the oil price spike. The United States has extended its waiver allowing buyers to take Russian oil at sea, Euromaidan Press reported.