A Ukrainian drone has disabled Russia’s fourth-largest oil refinery.

Strike on Norsi

According to Главком: A Ukrainian drone struck the Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez (Norsi) refinery in the Nizhny Novgorod region, forcing the facility to halt operations. The attack occurred on Wednesday, damaging the CDU-5 primary oil processing unit, which has a capacity of 12,000 tons per day. This unit is a critical part of the plant’s output, accounting for roughly a quarter of Norsi’s total production capacity.

Impact on the Energy Sector

Located near the town of Kstovo, about 450 kilometers east of Moscow, the refinery is Russia’s fourth-largest by capacity and the second-largest producer of gasoline. Norsi can process approximately 15 million tons of crude oil annually, while also producing over 5 million tons of gasoline, an equal amount of diesel fuel, and 2 million tons of fuel oil each year. Additionally, the plant manufactures around 500,000 tons of bitumen annually.

Following the attack, Nizhny Novgorod Regional Governor Gleb Nikitin confirmed that people were injured on Wednesday when drone debris fell on an industrial site. This marks the fifth Russian refinery to halt production in June. Before Norsi’s shutdown, the following facilities had already ceased operations this month:

• The Gazprom Neft Moscow refinery in Kapotnya,
• the Taneco refinery operated by Tatneft in Nizhnekamsk,
• the Kuibyshev refinery,
• and the Volgograd refinery.

It is known that the Moscow plant may not resume operations until 2027.

In response to the situation, the Saint Petersburg International Mercantile Exchange (SPIMEX) suspended trading of diesel and gasoline from Norsi as of Wednesday. It has been noted that between June 15 and June 21, Russia’s gasoline production dropped by 25% compared to the average daily output for June 2025. These events may indicate the growing impact of strikes on Russia’s energy sector, often referred to as the "war chest."

This attack on Norsi highlights the increasing vulnerability of Russian energy infrastructure amid the conflict. It is important to monitor further developments in this area.

In light of recent events, it is important to note that the ongoing conflict has led to significant disruptions in Russia's energy sector. For instance, another facility, the oil refinery in Saratov, was recently engulfed in flames following a drone attack. This incident further emphasizes the vulnerability of Russian refineries amid escalating hostilities. To learn more about how these strikes are affecting the oil production landscape, read our detailed coverage on the incident in Saratov here.