Ukrainian drones attacked an oil refinery in Ufa: what are the consequences?
2 April 10:18
On the night of April 2, Russian air defense forces shot down several Ukrainian drones “as they approached” an oil refinery in Ufa, according to Radiy Khabirov, the head of Bashkortostan.
This was reported by [Kommersant], citing Russian propaganda media.
“Debris from one [of the downed drones] fell in an industrial zone; there were no casualties. Firefighters are currently extinguishing the blaze on the plant’s premises,” Khabirov said. According to him, another drone struck a residential high-rise building, causing a fire to break out in the structure. “No one was killed or injured,” Khabirov emphasized.
According to an analysis of photos and videos from local residents conducted by Astra, the Bashneft-Novoyl plant, which is part of Rosneft, was hit. The facility produces high-octane gasoline, motor and industrial oils, aviation and jet fuel, diesel fuel, bitumen, and other petroleum products. The plant has a capacity of approximately 7.3 million tons of oil per year. Based on available footage, a Ukrainian monitoring channel determined that the strike occurred near the AVT-5 unit, which is the main facility for oil refining. Two other plants are located near Bashneft-Novoyl: Bashneft-Ufaneftekhim and Bashneft-UNPZ. This makes the Northern Industrial Zone of Ufa one of the largest petrochemical hubs in Russia. Prior to this, Ukrainian drones attacked the area on March 22. A fire also broke out in the industrial zone at that time. The day before, on March 21, two drones struck a high-rise building under construction in Ufa, located next to the industrial facilities.
On March 26, Ukrainian drones struck the largest oil refinery in the European part of Russia—Kirishinefteorgsintez (Kinef) in the Leningrad region. The plant, owned by Surgutneftegaz and with a capacity of 20 million tons per year, halted oil refining for a month, Reuters sources said.
Since late March, Ukrainian drones have also been striking Russian oil ports on the Baltic Sea, through which up to 40% of Russian oil is exported. Industry sources speaking to Reuters noted that drone attacks on the ports of Primorsk and Ust-Luga have made it harder for Moscow to profit from the global energy crisis. According to Bloomberg estimates, in the week preceding the Ukrainian strikes, oil exports brought Russia $2.5 billion—a record amount since April 2022. Compared to late February, oil sales revenue jumped 120% based on prices for Russian Urals crude, which in India surpassed $120 per barrel for the first time.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy previously stated that Kyiv’s “partners” had asked to reduce the number of strikes on Russian oil facilities amid the global energy crisis. According to him, Kyiv is willing to take such a step, but only if Moscow stops striking Ukrainian infrastructure. He also noted that Kyiv is ready to establish an energy ceasefire for the upcoming Easter period. However, the Kremlin rejected Zelenskyy’s proposal, stating that instead of a ceasefire, he must agree to surrender Donbas and sign a peace treaty.
