Novoshakhtinsk Oil Refinery Halts Operations After Overnight Drone Attack

The Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in Rostov region, Russia, has suspended operations following a UAV attack last night.

Yuriy Slyusar, the region’s governor, reported this on Telegram.

Eyewitnesses among the local residents filmed the sounds of drones flying overhead, the operation of Russian air defenses, and explosions in the plant’s area.

“According to updated information, the Novoshakhtinsk Oil Refinery was damaged in an overnight enemy attack on the Rostov region. The facility has temporarily suspended operations,” the Russian official said.

Damaged Oil Refinery

The Novoshakhtinsk refinery’s design capacity is estimated at approximately 7.5 million tonnes of crude oil per year (equivalent to around 112,000–115,000 barrels per day), although some sources cite figures ranging from 5.6 to 7.5 million tonnes per year, depending on the estimate.

The plant began operations in 2009. It became one of the first large oil refineries built in Russia in a long time.

The refinery is connected to main oil pipelines via the Transneft system, as well as rail lines, ensuring crude oil supply and shipping finished products by rail and water via a terminal on the Don River.

The facility has been attacked repeatedly in the past. In particular, during the night of May 31 this year, a strike with Neptune cruise missiles knocked two oil-processing units out of service.

Without these facilities, further oil refining is practically impossible, as they constitute the first stage of the entire refinery production cycle.

The Navy noted that the refinery is a key facility in Russia’s regional fuel infrastructure and plays an important role in supplying the occupation forces with fuel and lubricants.

In addition, on December 25, 2025, Ukrainian Air Force aircraft struck the Russian refinery with Storm Shadow cruise missiles. The strike caused a major fire at the facility.

Ukrainian drones also struck the Afipsky Oil Refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai on the night of August 25, causing a fire at the facility.