Rosneft refinery in Syzran halts operations after Ukrainian drone strike

A Rosneft oil refinery in Syzran, Russia, has suspended operations after a Ukrainian drone attack on May 21 damaged its primary oil processing unit. Industry sources confirmed the shutdown to Reuters.

A major oil refinery in Syzran, Russia, owned by Rosneft, has halted all operations following a Ukrainian drone strike on May 21 that caused significant damage to the facility's primary crude oil processing unit, industry insiders told Reuters.

The attack targeted one of Russia's key refining assets, knocking out the primary distillation unit — a critical component in the refining process. Without it, the entire plant cannot function, forcing a complete operational shutdown.

The Syzran refinery is one of several Russian energy facilities that have come under Ukrainian drone attacks in recent months. Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian oil infrastructure as part of its broader strategy to degrade Moscow's ability to fund its military campaign through energy revenues.

Rosneft has not issued an official public comment on the incident. The extent of the damage and the expected timeline for resuming operations remain unclear, though sources familiar with the situation indicated the shutdown could last for a significant period given the nature of the damage.