Ukraine reports strike on major Lukoil plant supplying Moscow with fuel

In the night of July 2 in the city of Kstovo in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod region, the Lukoil-Nizhny Novgorodnefteorgsintez oil refinery in Kstovo was damaged after an attack by Ukrainian drones.

Ukrainian media report this, citing the press service of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

"A hit on the facility was recorded, followed by a fire on the enterprise's territory. According to preliminary information, the primary oil processing unit AVT-6 was damaged," the statement said.

According to an analysis of footage conducted by Astra, the Lukoil-Nizhny Novgorodnefteorgsintez refinery was hit. It is Lukoil's largest plant, the fourth most powerful in Russia and the second in the country by gasoline production.

The enterprise can process about 15 million tons of oil per year and produce 5 million tons of gasoline. The refinery also supplies fuel to the Moscow region.

Nizhny Novgorod region Governor Gleb Nikitin reported an attack by three dozen drones and stated "non-critical damage" to one industrial facility and several residential buildings, writes the Russian publication The Moscow Times.

The plant had already been attacked on June 24. According to Reuters sources in the industry, after that it suspended oil processing due to damage to the primary processing unit AVT-5, which provides 25% of the enterprise's capacity.

At the same time, the plant, according to Reuters, planned to switch to operating without the damaged unit and increase the load on the remaining capacities.

Earlier, Ukrainian drones struck refineries in Ufa and a military-industrial complex facility in the Penza region. "NORSI," Russia's fourth-largest oil refinery and second by gasoline production volumes, suspended operations on June 25 after an attack by Ukrainian drones. On June 18, the Moscow refinery in Kapotnya was hit, resulting in a large-scale fire at the enterprise. A few days earlier, on June 16, Ukrainian drones also attacked the Moscow refinery. Then the strike damaged the primary oil processing unit ELOU-AVT-6, forcing the enterprise to temporarily suspend its operations.

Source: "Ekonomichna Pravda"