The International Energy Agency (IEA) has reported that Ukrainian drone strikes are having a cumulative negative effect on Russia's oil refining system. Sanctions are hindering the industry's ability to recover from these increasingly intense and precise attacks. The IEA's monthly oil report, published on September 11, 2026, highlighted that this degradation is ongoing and impactful.
Fires and explosions were reported across Russia on September 11, 2026, with Ukrainian drones targeting oil refineries and logistics centers. In Saratov, an oil refinery and an Ozon logistics center experienced fires and damage. The Saratov Oil Refinery, part of the state-owned Rosneft group and established in 1934, was reportedly on fire after a drone attack, marking at least its 16th time being targeted. This facility, which processed 5.8 million metric tons of crude in 2024, has previously been forced to halt oil processing due to attacks.
Concurrently, the Volgograd region also reported damage to an industrial facility, identified by Ukrainian monitoring channels as the Lukoil-owned Volgograd Oil Refinery, after a suspected missile attack. This refinery, one of the largest in southern Russia with an annual capacity of 14-15 million tons of oil, plays a strategic role in supplying fuel to both civilian and military sectors. Additionally, an apartment building in Volgograd was damaged, and two men were hospitalized with injuries.
The persistent attacks have significantly impacted Russia's fuel supply, pushing the country's refining output to its lowest level in two decades, with at least 70 Ukrainian drone strikes on refineries since early 2026. By the end of August, gasoline production covered only about 70% of domestic demand, creating a shortfall of approximately 30,000 tons per day. This scarcity has led to restrictions on fuel sales in at least 17 Russian regions and forced Russia to import gasoline from countries like India, Morocco, and Turkey, and to increase purchases from Belarus, an unprecedented move for the country.
