Ukrainian retaliatory attacks have disrupted operations at Russian refineries that make up about 30% of the country's total refining capacity, Reuters reports.
According to two sources in the Russian oil industry, attacks during the past week alone caused disruptions and emergency shutdowns in nine of the 35 largest refineries in Russia.
The combined design capacity of the facilities targeted since late October is about 300,000 tons of oil per day, equivalent to 2.2 million barrels. This represents about a third of Russia's total refining capacity.
However, this does not mean that a third of the country's refining operations have been completely shut down. The sources estimate that the actual reduction in output may reach 200,000 tons daily.
The affected facilities include refineries in Ryazan, Yaroslavl and the Volga region. On the night of November 9, the Kirishi refinery in the Leningrad region, the second largest in Russia, was also damaged.
The latest retaliatory wave of attacks is exacerbating Russia's fuel problems, further reducing gasoline and diesel production amid existing shortages in some areas.
Meanwhile, Moscow is demanding an end to attacks on its energy infrastructure, even as it continues to systematically target Ukrainian power plants and energy grids.