Ukrainian forces have attacked Russian oil refineries at least 21 times since the beginning of August, a record number of strikes in a single month, Bloomberg reported.
According to the agency's calculations, the sites attacked include four of Russia's ten largest oil refineries. They are being built to supply some of the country’s most densely populated and industrialized regions.
The intensified Ukrainian campaign is already having a serious impact on fuel production and supplies to the Russian domestic market.
Gasoline production and supplies in Russia in the first three weeks of August fell by nearly 20% compared to the same period last year, a source familiar with non-public sector data told Bloomberg.
According to analyst firm EA Analytics, the volume of oil refining in Russia is currently close to its lowest level in more than two decades.
In August, Russian refineries processed an average of just over 3.8 million barrels of oil per day. By comparison, during the summer months under normal conditions, Russia typically processes between 5.3 and 5.5 million barrels per day.
This means that the current volume is approximately a quarter to a third below the usual seasonal level.
EA Analytics predicts a partial recovery in September to about 4.2 million barrels per day, but only if the Ukrainian attacks do not continue at the current intensity.
The problems in the Russian oil refining industry have been deepening for months.
As early as July, data cited by Bloomberg showed that Russian refineries were processing about 3.6 million barrels of oil per day - the lowest level since May 2002 and approximately a third below the usual seasonal norm.
The Ukrainian attacks are aimed not only at primary distillation capacities, but also at more complex technological units, including hydrocracking, catalytic reforming and others. facilities needed to produce gasoline and diesel.
Damage to such facilities can put part of a refinery out of operation for significantly longer than a strike on a storage tank, as repairs often require specialized equipment and spare parts.
The campaign is already having an impact on exports.
Russia has been forced to limit exports of some fuels to stabilize the domestic market. Reduced Russian diesel supplies have also led to changes in international markets, with Turkey, for example, significantly increasing its imports from the United States and India in August.
Ukraine has been systematically attacking Russian oil infrastructure as part of its strategy to reduce Moscow's revenues and hinder the supply of fuel to the Russian armed forces.
For Russia, the problem also has a purely logistical dimension. The country continues to produce large quantities of crude oil, but when domestic refineries cannot process it, Moscow must either increase exports of the raw material or reduce production.
In July, the intensified Ukrainian strikes already forced Russia to export almost record amounts of crude oil precisely because of the reduced capacity of refineries.
The pressure on the sector is particularly sensitive because oil refining is located between two key elements of the Russian economy - the huge production of crude oil and the need to provide gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel for the domestic market, industry and the army.