Moscow, Russia. A Ukrainian drone attack caused a fire at Gazprom Neft’s refinery in southeast Moscow on Tuesday, and two industry sources told Reuters that the plant had halted operations. The sources said the strike damaged a primary refining facility accounting for 53% of the refinery’s capacity.
Damage and operational impact
The two industry sources said the attack hit Gazprom Neft’s SIBN.MM refinery, the largest fuel supplier to the Moscow region. They said a second unit was expected to resume operations soon.
Witness footage verified by Reuters showed a fierce blaze and dense black smoke rising from the refinery after the attack.
Conflicting accounts
Local emergency services later said the fire had been extinguished and had not affected operations. That account was contradicted by the two sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said a facility at the site had been damaged, without providing further details.
Broader pressure on fuel sector
In a separate development, Russian oil producer Tatneft announced nationwide caps on purchases at its fuel stations following an attack on its refinery in Tatarstan last week.
Ukraine has intensified attacks on refineries in what it describes as an effort to target a major source of Russia’s war funding. According to official data, social media and Reuters calculations, such attacks have doubled since the start of 2026, leading to full or partial shutdowns of oil processing and lower output of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.
The strategy is increasingly straining Russia’s domestic fuel market.
