Ukrainian drone attack halts major Russian oil refinery
As the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine intensifies, another heavy and significant blow has been dealt to Russia's energy infrastructure. According to the influential Reuters news agency's official report on May 21, unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) launched by Ukraine carried out a fierce attack on the NORSI oil refinery in Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod region, on the night of May 20.
The consequences of this airstrike have proven quite serious. As a result of the strikes, the plant's core and heart, the AVT-6 primary oil refining unit, was forced to shut down completely. This massive technological facility accounted for 53 percent of the enterprise's total production capacity and had the technical capability to process 25,700 tons of raw material per day.
Damage to the strategic giant and the silence of local authorities
It should be noted that the NORSI plant is the fourth largest oil refinery in the Russian Federation and ranks second in the country in terms of gasoline production volume. Before this devastating attack, this industrial giant had the capacity to process 16 million tons of crude oil annually, or approximately 320,000 barrels of oil per day. capacity.
Independent media and OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) channels immediately reported strong explosions and a drone attack in the industrial zone of Kstovo on the night of May 20. However, local Russian leadership and authorities are attempting to avoid officially confirming that a major fire or destruction occurred at this strategically important enterprise.
Notably, the Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez plant has become a target of a serious attack for the second time in the last two months. Previously, on April 5, production lines were seriously damaged after drones hit the facility's territory.
Crisis in the Russian energy system: The reality of the numbers
In another analytical piece published on May 20, Reuters stated that almost all major oil refineries located in Russia's central regions have sharply reduced production or temporarily frozen operations due to a series of drone strikes in recent weeks.
According to information provided by the agency's reliable sources close to the industry, the total production capacity of Russian refineries that are currently fully or partially out of service has exceeded 83 million tons per year.
Behind this number lie massive economic losses:
This volume is equivalent to nearly a quarter (25 percent) of Russia's total oil refining capacity;
At the same time, this loss accounts for more than 30 percent of the gasoline and approximately 25 percent of the diesel fuel required for the country's domestic market.
The Russian Ministry of Energy did not respond to official requests from international journalists regarding this major energy crisis and preferred to remain silent. Experts believe that the continuation of such attacks could lead to fuel shortages and sharp price increases in the Russian domestic market in the coming weeks.
Do you think the shutdown of a quarter of Russia's central oil refineries will cause a gasoline shortage in the domestic market, or will the government be forced to buy fuel from abroad?
