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Russian Kinef Refinery Shuts Down Completely Following UAV Attack

Russian Kinef Refinery Shuts Down Completely Following UAV Attack

05.05.2026 18:27

One of Russia’s top three largest oil refineries, Kirishinefteorgsintez (Kinef), located in the Leningrad region, has completely halted oil processing. The shutdown follows a successful drone attack, Reuters reports, citing industry sources.

Extent of Damage

The plant, which has a capacity of 20 million tons per year, sustained critical damage. According to sources, the fire damaged all three primary crude distillation units that were operational at the time: AVT-6, AVT-2, and AT-1. Additionally, several secondary processing units were affected.

The exact timeframe for repairs and the restoration of operations remains unknown.

Timeline of Attacks

This marks the second strike against the Surgutneftegas-owned facility since the beginning of spring:

  • March 26: The refinery first halted part of its production following an earlier attack.

  • Late April: The plant had only recently managed to restart the previously damaged AVT-6 and AVT-2 units.

  • May: A repeated strike has now led to a total paralysis of production.

Last year, Kinef produced 2 million tons of gasoline and 7 million tons of diesel fuel, making it a vital asset for both Russia's domestic market and its export capabilities.

Systemic Industry Crisis

Kinef is the sixth Russian refinery to stop production in the last month alone. Following recent strikes or subsequent technical failures, several other major plants have gone offline:

  • Permnefteorgsintez (April 30)

  • Syzran Refinery (April 22)

  • Novokuibyshevsk Refinery (April 18)

  • Tuapse Refinery (April 16)

  • Nizhny Novgorodnefteorgsintez (April 5)

According to Bloomberg, citing OilX data, this series of drone raids has driven Russian oil refining volumes down to 4.69 million barrels per day—the lowest level since 2009.