Major Fire Hits Russian Yaroslavnefteorgsintez Refinery, Fueling Supply Concerns
A significant fire has engulfed the Yaroslavnefteorgsintez refinery in Yaroslavl, Russia, with residents reporting strong flames and a large smoke cloud. The blaze is believed to have technical origins, not linked to drone attacks.
The refinery, one of Russia's largest, has a processing capacity of 15 million tons of crude oil annually. If it remains offline, it could exacerbate existing fuel shortages in the country. This incident comes amidst the Russia-Ukraine war, with Ukraine strategically targeting Russian oil refineries to disrupt the fuel supply of the Russian military and hinder war financing through oil exports. Ukrainian drone attacks have shut down about a quarter of Russian oil refineries, with refinery shutdowns reaching a historic high of 38 percent by the end of September, mostly due to these attacks. The Yaroslavnefteorgsintez refinery was not previously known to have been targeted by drones before the fire.
The fire at the Yaroslavnefteorgsintez refinery highlights the ongoing impact of Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia's oil industry. With no signs of letup in these attacks, the potential for further disruptions to Russia's fuel supply and economy remains high.
