Russia limited its drop in oil processing to only 3% this year. It did this even as Ukraine launched its biggest drone attacks on Russian energy sites. Industry sources and data confirmed this trend.

Ukraine increased drone strikes deep inside Russia. It targeted refineries, depots, and pipelines. Kyiv wanted to hit Moscow’s main source of war funding.

Most attacks happened early in 2025. They started again in August. Ukraine hit at least 17 major refineries. As a result, Russia reduced fuel exports and ordered stronger drone defences.

Strikes Hit Capacity but Not Output

From August to October, attacks and planned repairs shut down about 20% of Russia’s refinery capacity. Reuters calculated this using data from three Russian industry sources.

However, the output decline was much smaller. Russia’s refining volumes fell only 6%. They dropped to about 5.1 million barrels per day. That was around 300,000 barrels per day lower than last year.

From January to October, Russia processed about 220 million metric tons of oil. That equals 5.2 million barrels per day. The year-on-year drop stood at 3%.

The sources spoke anonymously. Russia no longer publishes refining data. The energy ministry did not comment.

Russia Uses Spare Units to Limit Damage

The industry sources said Russian refineries operated below full capacity before the attacks. So they could offset the damage. They restarted idle units at damaged plants. They also activated spare capacity in unaffected plants. Russia has total refining capacity of 6.6 million barrels per day. But refineries rarely run at full capacity.

Kyiv says its drone campaign aims to block fuel supplies to Russian troops. It also wants to cut Moscow’s oil income. The International Energy Agency said Russian oil revenues dropped in August to one of the lowest levels since the war began in 2022.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said last month that the long-range strikes may have cut gasoline supplies in Russia by up to one-fifth. The Kremlin denied any disruption. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow will never bow to pressure from abroad.

Kyiv Strikes Key Refineries Across Russia

Ukraine hit six major refineries in the first quarter. These included Ryazan, Volgograd, Saratov, Tuapse, Ufa, and Astrakhan.

Since August, Ukraine has carried out at least 58 attacks on Russian energy sites. Data from UK-based Open Source Centre shows drones flying as far as 2,000 km into Russian territory.

Recent strikes damaged refineries in Novokuibyshevsk, Kirishi, and Salavat.

Western sanctions have created another challenge. Russia cannot easily get spare parts from Western companies that upgraded most of its refineries over the past 30 years.

Russian firms say they now make parts domestically or import them from China. China remains a key ally. Repairs usually bring distillation units back online within weeks. However, the work is costly and sometimes slow.

Uncertain Future as Attacks Continue

Repairs and spare capacity helped Russia maintain production this year. But experts warn that this strategy may not hold if Ukraine continues long-range drone strikes.