• Should Ukraine destroy Russia’s oil-refining capacity?
  • Kyiv must take wins where it can, and a campaign to destroy Russia¡¯s oil-refining capacity brings benefits to Ukraine with limited risk. Ukraine has so far concentrated its attacks on Russian oil refineries, not oil fields or crude oil export infrastructure. The distinction is important.
  • Should Ukraine strike on Russian refineries?
  • As long as Ukrainian forces avoid hitting crude oil pipelines or major crude oil export terminals, they can maintain this balance. Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries are now doing what the sanctions regime has not. The current strategy comes with limited risks.
  • Why are Ukrainian refineries hitting Russian crude oil production & export facilities?
  • “The Ukrainians have been hitting refineries, not Russian crude oil production or export facilities. This causes problems for Russia’s domestic market for refined products, but for the rest of the world, a decline in Russia’s exports of products will be compensated for by increased exports of crude oil,” Berg explained.
  • What happened to Ukraine’s oil refinery?
  • On January 19, a Ukrainian drone struck an oil depot in the town of Klintsy, in Russia¡¯s western Bryansk region, setting four gasoline tanks on fire and igniting some 1.6 million gallons of oil. Later that week, another strike lit a fire at Rosneft¡¯s oil refinery in Tuapse, a Russian city some 600 miles from Ukrainian-held territory.
  • How much does it cost to build a Russian refinery?
  • Refineries cost tens of billions of dollars to build; they are large targets and therefore hard to miss; and there is a lot of flammable and explosive matter, making substantial fire damage probable after the hit. There are also plenty of Russian refineries relatively close to Ukrainian territory.
  • What are Russian oil refineries?
  • Russian oil refineries play a crucial role in the country’s economy and its global energy presence. These refineries process crude oil into various petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel, catering to both domestic consumption and international export markets.