Bruce Rees

🇺🇦🇷🇺 THREE RUSSIAN REFINERIES HIT IN 72 HOURS AS PUTIN’S FUEL PROBLEMS MOUNT Ukraine has reportedly struck three major Russian oil refineries in just three days, targeting facilities with a combined annual processing capacity of 32.9 million tonnes. The facilities are: • Novokuybyshevsk: 8.8 million tonnes annually. • Bashneft-Novoil in Ufa: 7.1 million tonnes. • Lukoil-NORSI in Kstovo: 17 million tonnes. Together, they represent roughly 10% of Russia’s stated national refining capacity. That doesn’t mean 10% of Russian fuel production has been destroyed. The actual disruption depends on the damage and how quickly each facility can resume operations. But the timing is particularly uncomfortable for Moscow. Russia is already dealing with pressure on its fuel supplies, restrictions on diesel exports and mounting financial strains linked to the war. Local accounts from Kstovo describe petrol queues and purchase restrictions following the attack, although the extent of those measures remains unconfirmed. Meanwhile, Russian nationalist commentators are openly questioning why air defences have failed to prevent repeated strikes on valuable energy infrastructure. There is also a potential complication for the reported diesel arrangement between Trump and Putin. Even if Washington and Moscow reach an agreement, Russian suppliers still need functioning refineries, available fuel and willing American buyers. The wider economic picture matters here. Refinery repairs cost money, lost production reduces revenue, and repeated attacks force Russia to devote additional resources to protecting facilities far from the frontline. Putin has continued attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Kyiv is demonstrating that Russia’s own energy sector is vulnerable too. And unlike a temporary disruption to a single refinery, repeated strikes across several facilities can create problems that become increasingly difficult to manage.