Months after strikes on Russian refineries, damage is still visible from space, revealing the extent of Ukraine's campaign against oil infrastructure. The attacks, which have targeted both storage tanks and complex processing units.
The Tuapse refinery, opened by President Vladimir Putin in 2013 as the country's most powerful and modern processing unit, has been a target. According to Financial Times analysis, two attacks at the end of April destroyed more than a dozen medium and large storage tanks with a total capacity of roughly 80,000 cubic meters.
The same FT analysis indicates that the secondary processing unit, which converts heavy oil into gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel, was also destroyed. This reflects a broader strategy: Ukraine's attacks focus not merely on causing large fires but on disabling complex systems essential for refinery operation.
According to FT, attack teams are provided technical information about which systems are critical in Soviet-designed refineries, which parts are not easily replaceable, and which points, if hit, will disable facilities for extended periods. Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center expert Sergey Vakulenko noted that recent attacks hit not only relatively easily repairable crude oil processing units but also catalytic cracking, isomerization, and hydrotreating systems.
Ukraine's attack campaign disabled more than 30% of Russia's actual operating refinery capacity for a period, according to FT calculations.
A research team led by Fabio Sabatini from Sapienza University of Rome examined night lights around 29 large Russian refineries from June 2022 to May 2024. The study found that after the first attack, light intensity within one kilometer of the facilities dropped by an average of 30%, and the effect lasted more than 13 months at some refineries.
One notable example is the Kstovo refinery in the Nizhny Novgorod region, which halted operations after drone attacks on May 18 and 20. Thermal images from German satellite intelligence company Constellr showed no heat signature at the refinery's distillation unit as of July 18, indicating the facility had not resumed production nearly two months after the attack. Satellite images also showed damaged storage tanks, pumping stations, and connecting pipes at refineries in Moscow, Omsk, and Tuapse weeks after strikes.
In response, Russia has deployed air defense systems, electronic warfare vehicles, and protective nets around refineries to intercept drones. A Russian businessman told FT that protective nets can stop a single drone, but if three drones are directed at the same point in succession, it becomes physically very difficult to prevent the attack.
The impact extends beyond Russian borders. According to sources speaking to Reuters, Moscow is preparing to extend the diesel export ban introduced on July 8 beyond July, and gasoline export restrictions are planned to last until the end of the year. Russia's diesel and gas oil exports averaged 817,000 barrels per day in 2025, but fell to approximately 234,000 barrels per day in early July 2024.
Russia is one of the world's largest diesel exporters after the US, so the decline puts pressure on global product prices and supply balance. The export restrictions are driving Turkey and Brazil, major buyers of Russian refinery products, to seek alternative suppliers. According to Reuters, Turkey and Brazil have started buying more diesel from the US, increasing competition and shipping costs in the Atlantic basin.