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Ukrainian drones attacked the Ryazan oil refinery in Russia overnight on September 6, causing a fire at the facility, according to ASTRA. Ryazan Region Governor Pavel Malkov also confirmed that the region had come under attack.
The refinery is part of Russia’s Rosneft group and is one of the country’s largest oil-processing facilities. It can process around 17 million tonnes of crude oil annually.
The plant produces several types of gasoline, diesel fuel, aviation kerosene, fuel oil, liquefied gases, bitumen and petrochemical feedstock.
ASTRA noted that the Ryazan refinery had already been targeted by Ukrainian drones in May and July 2026.
Pressure on Russia’s fuel sector
Ukraine’s strikes have also disrupted other major Russian oil-processing facilities. Following attacks on August 26 and September 1, the Lukoil-NizhegorodNefteproekt refinery in Kstovo and the Novatek-Ust-Luga complex in Leningrad region reportedly halted operations.
Both facilities play a role in supplying Russia’s military.
Fuel shortages have already prompted Russia to seek additional imports. In June, Moscow discussed importing gasoline from Kazakhstan, while Belarus sharply increased gasoline supplies to Russia during the first half of the year.
Ukraine’s attacks have taken a significant share of Russia’s oil-refining capacity offline. However, the damage does not yet amount to a nationwide fuel-system collapse. Economists warn that a critical threshold exists beyond which Russia may no longer be able to compensate for shortages, potentially affecting both the economy and military supply.
