Ukrainian strikes shut 15 of Russia’s 38 major refineries, HUR reports

Ukrainian strikes have crippled 15 of Russia's 38 major oil refineries, with another 12 forced to cut their output by the end of September 2026, according to the Main Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Defense Ministry (HUR). The strikes, dubbed "long-range sanctions," have reduced total oil refining volumes at these facilities by 55.4% compared to the start of the year.

The hardest-hit regions are Russia's Volga, Central, and Southern federal districts. Despite this, some refineries in remote areas remain operational, processing a combined 906,000 barrels of crude oil per day in September 2026, which is 24% of Russia's total oil refining volume. However, transporting petroleum products to these locations is challenging due to shortages of railway rolling stock and tanker trucks.

The strikes have inflicted over $23.2 billion in economic losses on Russia, equivalent to the industry's total revenue of $26.6 billion in 2025. Russia faces difficulties repairing and maintaining damaged facilities due to international sanctions and the high cost of necessary equipment, which could cost more than $20 billion to replace.

While efforts are being made to redistribute production among operational refineries, Russia cannot fully meet its domestic demand for petroleum products while fulfilling its export commitments. Additionally, Russia has started importing fuel from other countries through "gray-market schemes" to bypass international sanctions. Ukrainian Defense Forces have disabled approximately 10% of Russia's oil refining capacity over the past three days, further threatening the stabilization of Russia's fuel market just as it had begun to recover from earlier attacks on refining infrastructure.