A major Russian oil refinery ceased operations today, Thursday, for a period that could extend up to six months, following a long-range Ukrainian attack targeting the facility. The shutdown of this refinery is expected to worsen Russia's fuel crisis, an
issue that has already caused discontent among drivers and businesses due to shortages and rising prices over recent months. Ukrainian forces had previously targeted the refinery, located in the city of Orsk approximately 1300 kilometers from the front line, earlier
this week, resulting in a massive fire at the industrial facility. Kyiv has been conducting a campaign to target Russian energy infrastructure for months using drones and missiles, in an effort to undermine a primary source of revenue for the
Russian military. In this context, the governor of the Orenburg region, where the refinery is situated, confirmed the facility's operational halt, indicating that repair work would take several months. Governor Yevgeny Solntsev explained via social media that "the equipment is
imported, and considering the imposed sanctions, repair work could take up to six months. The refinery has completely ceased operations... we are preparing for the worst-case scenarios," adding that the region would need to import fuel to cover any potential
shortages. Previous Ukrainian strikes have led to fuel shortages across Russian territories in recent months, necessitating commercial sales restrictions, including quantity limits or other forms of rationing in vast areas. While officials have reported an improvement in the situation in
recent weeks, vehicle drivers in the capital Moscow have expressed concern over the potential for a new crisis to erupt.
