Orsk Refinery Shutters for 6 Months After Ukrainian Attack

A Russian oil refinery in Orsk, situated near the Kazakhstan border, has been forced to halt operations for up to half a year due to a Ukrainian drone strike, authorities announced on Thursday. The Ukrainian military claimed responsibility for the attack on the Orsknefteorgsintez refinery, which is around 1,500 kilometers from the Ukrainian-Urussian border.

The refinery, with an annual processing capacity of 6.6 million metric tons, has been completely shut down, according to Orenburg region Governor Yevgeny Solntsev. He explained that repairs could take up to six months due to shrapnel damage to key infrastructure, which cannot be repaired because of Western sanctions on imported equipment.

Solntsev informed that 80% of the region's 287 filling stations are currently functional and that priority is being given to emergency and specialized vehicles. On Wednesday, the governor implemented fuel rationing and an odd-even license plate system at gas stations following the attack. He described the current situation at local gas stations as "not simple everywhere, but manageable."

Orenburg is the 16th region to experience renewed fuel disruptions since a brief stabilization in late July was interrupted by fresh Ukrainian attacks on energy infrastructure. The Moscow Times, a Russian news outlet, has been designated as an "undesirable organization" by Russia's Prosecutor General's Office, which has criminalized its work and put its staff at risk of prosecution. These actions are seen as attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia.