Russia plans to restore operations at the drone-damaged oil refineries by June, but sanctions stand in their way.

The Russian minister of energy stated: “Repairs at the factories are underway. We plan to fix several refineries in April-May, perhaps by the beginning of June.”

At the same time, since January, Russian oil company Lukoil has not been able to repair the gasoline installation at its Nizhny Novgorod Refinery. It turns out that only the American company UOP, which left Russia, can do this. Due to the lack of necessary knowledge and equipment in the Russian Federation, the timing of these repairs remains to be seen.

Western sanctions make it difficult to repair refineries built with the help of American and European engineering companies. As a result, the Nizhny Novgorod Oil Refinery, the fourth largest in the country, has been forced to reduce gasoline production by 40%.

Reuters estimates that Russian refineries cut output by 14% in the first quarter of 2024 due to UAV strikes on at least 12 refineries. Experts warn that with further attacks, Ukraine will be able to shut down Russian refineries faster than they can be repaired.