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Half of Russia's largest diesel refineries cut or halt output after Ukrainian drone strikes

Three of Russia's six largest diesel-producing refineries have been forced to significantly cut or halt production in September following Ukrainian drone attacks, disrupting output from facilities that together account for roughly half of Russian diesel. The Kirishi (Kinef) refinery fully halted operations, while Volgograd and NORSI are running at about a quarter of normal capacity. U.S. President Donald Trump on 13 September urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to stop the strikes, attributing global diesel shortages and price increases to the Russia–Ukraine war rather than the U.S.–Iran conflict; Ukraine responded that it is ready for a ceasefire only if Russia also stops strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

Key points

  • Russia's six largest diesel refineries — Omsk, Kirishi (Kinef), Volgograd, Perm, NORSI and Taneko — together account for about half of Russian diesel production.
  • Kirishi (Kinef) fully halted operations; Volgograd and NORSI are operating at roughly a quarter of normal capacity.
  • Taneko was hit by drones on 13 September; production impact could not yet be assessed.
  • The Syzran and Saratov refineries also halted operations after Ukrainian strikes; Syzran's AVT-6 unit (about 71% of capacity) was damaged.
  • On 13 September, Trump called on Zelensky to halt strikes on Russian diesel infrastructure, blaming the Russia–Ukraine war for global diesel shortages.
  • Ukraine said it is ready for a ceasefire provided Russia also stops strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure and described the Russian refineries as 'legitimate military targets.'
  • The average U.S. diesel price first exceeded $6 per gallon on 10 September, according to GasBuddy; Russia has already restricted exports of gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel.

Why it matters

Disruption at refineries producing roughly half of Russia's diesel is tightening global fuel supply and pushing prices higher, with U.S. diesel crossing $6 per gallon for the first time on 10 September. Russia has already restricted exports of gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel. The exchange between Trump and Zelensky, and Ukraine's conditional ceasefire offer, raise the diplomatic stakes of a campaign that is hitting consumers worldwide.

What happened

Three of Russia's six largest diesel-producing refineries were forced to significantly cut or completely halt production in September after Ukrainian drone strikes. The Kirishi (Kinef) refinery fully halted operations, while Volgograd and NORSI are running at roughly a quarter of normal capacity, with output several times below usual levels. Taneko in Nizhnekamsk was hit by drones on 13 September, though the production impact could not yet be assessed. The Syzran refinery halted work the day after being struck, with its main AVT-6 distillation unit (17,100 tonnes per day, about 71% of plant capacity) damaged and repairs expected to last at least a month; the Saratov refinery stopped on 11 September after an attack the night before. The six refineries — Omsk, Kirishi, Volgograd, Perm, NORSI and Taneko — together account for about half of Russian diesel production, and according to the International Energy Agency Russian refineries were successfully struck on average every three days during the first eight months of 2026. On 13 September, U.S. President Donald Trump urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to stop the attacks, saying they were causing global diesel shortages and price rises; Ukraine responded that it is ready for a ceasefire provided Russia also stops strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure and described the Russian refineries as legitimate military targets.

How Ukrainian sources describe it

Ukrainian-language coverage centers the story on the operational impact on specific Russian refineries, detailing which plants halted or cut output and in some cases narrowing the frame to damage at Syzran and Saratov. Ukrainian sources also foreground Ukraine's conditional ceasefire offer — readiness to stop if Russia stops striking Ukrainian energy sites — as a counterpoint to Trump's call for Ukraine to halt the attacks, and describe the Russian refineries as legitimate military targets.

How international sources describe it

International coverage carries the Reuters economic angle more heavily: export-volume figures, the dominance of Turkey and Brazil as buyers of Russian diesel before restrictions, and the broader fuel-price impact including the $6-per-gallon U.S. average and the parallel effect of the Iran-related conflict on global supply. Non-Ukrainian outlets lean on Trump's attribution of global diesel shortages to the Russia–Ukraine war rather than the U.S.–Iran conflict, and flag pressure on the U.S. agricultural sector as a downstream concern.

Where reporting differs

Sources differ slightly in how they describe the affected refineries: Kirishi/Kinef is alternately said to have 'halted work' or to be 'fully stopped,' and one Ukrainian-language report refers more generally to two unnamed Russian refineries suspending operations, while Reuters-based reports specify Kirishi/Kinef, Volgograd and NORSI.

Background

Before Russia's June export restrictions, Russia was exporting under 1 million tonnes of diesel a month; a year earlier, with refineries running normally, monthly diesel exports were about 2.5 million tonnes (3.3–3.4 million tonnes including lower-quality gasoil). Before the July restrictions Turkey and Brazil were the largest buyers of Russian diesel, accounting for at least half of available export volumes. Diesel is widely used by trucks, rail, maritime transport and agriculture. The U.S. agricultural sector has already faced margin pressure for four years from drought, higher input costs and the trade-policy effects of the Trump administration.