Russia has hit Ukrainian oil, gas, and power infrastructure with high-precision long-range weapons and drones on Thursday night, in response to Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian refining capacity, the Russian Defense Ministry said today.
“In response to the attempts of the Kyiv regime to cause damage to Russia’s oil and gas industry and energy facilities, tonight the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation launched a massive strike with high-precision long-range air and sea-based weapons, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles, against Ukraine’s fuel and energy infrastructure,” Russian news agencies quoted the defense ministry as saying.
“All targets have been hit,” Russia said.
Moscow also claimed that with the strikes it had disrupted the work of Ukraine’s military industry enterprises, as well as the transfer of reserves to combat areas and fuel supply to the Ukrainian army.
Ukraine has stepped up attacks on oil refineries in Russia in recent weeks, which have reduced Russian refining capacity, and which, reportedly, have the White House concerned about rising international prices.
The United States has repeatedly urged Ukraine to halt its drone attacks on Russian oil refineries due to Washington’s assessment that the strikes could lead to Russian retaliation and push up global oil prices, the Financial Times reported last month, citing sources familiar with the exchange.
According to Reuters estimates, the amount of Russian oil refining capacity that has been taken offline due to Ukrainian drone strikes is 14% of Russia’s total refining capacity.
Due to refinery damage as a result of the drone attacks, Russia’s gasoline production fell by 12% in the last week of March compared to the February average, Russian daily Kommersant reported last week, quoting the Federal State Statistics Service, Rosstat. The domestic market hasn’t felt the impact, yet, also thanks to higher fuel imports from Belarus, Kommersant notes.
By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com
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