Ukrainian forces have targeted the seventh major refinery in Russia since the start of the month.

On the night of August 14, Ukrainian drones struck the Volgogradsk oil refinery, which is part of Lukoil-Volgogradneftepererabotka and supplies petroleum products to the Russian military. The Volgogradsk refinery is the largest producer of fuels and lubricants in Russia’s Southern Federal District and ranks among the top 10 in the country. It processes over 15 million tons of oil annually, accounting for 5.6% of all Russian processing.

Since early August, Ukrainian drones have attacked several Russian refineries: August 2 – Ryazan and Novokuybyshev, August 7 – Afipsky (Krasnodar Territory), August 10 – Lukoil-Ukhtaneftepererabotka and Saratov, and on August 13 – the refinery in Slavyansk-on-Kuban.

Experts say that while drone strikes cause considerable damage to Russian oil refining, they are unlikely to trigger a sustained fuel crisis in Russia. However, these attacks may lead to higher gasoline and diesel fuel prices at local gas stations and contribute to inflation. Russia still has many operational refineries, and if needed, it can buy fuel from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, or Turkey.