Ukraine launched fresh drone attacks on Russian energy assets Thursday, hitting two refineries including Gazprom’s giant Neftekhim Salavat complex in Bashkortostan, more than 1,300 kilometers from Ukrainian-held territory. The strikes set fire to storage facilities and marked one of Kyiv’s deepest penetrations into Russian industrial infrastructure since the war began, as it continues to target the Kremlin’s oil revenues that feed its war coffer.
The new assaults came just hours after trade data published by Reuters showed Russia’s seaborne oil product exports jumped 8.9% in August compared with July, rising to 9.44 million metric tons. The surge highlights Moscow’s ability to keep product flows moving through its ports even as revenues fall under Western sanctions and repeated Ukrainian strikes.
Exports through the Baltic ports of Primorsk, Vysotsk, St. Petersburg, and Ust-Luga climbed 12.3% month-on-month to 5.33 million tons, while Black Sea and Azov Sea shipments gained 3.6% to 3.39 million tons. Far East flows increased 13.5% to 693,500 tons after refineries completed maintenance, though Arctic shipments dropped by nearly a quarter to just 30,700 tons.
The International Energy Agency (IEA) reported last week that Russian oil revenues fell to about $13.5 billion in August, among the lowest levels since the invasion, as crude and product discounts widened and reliance on “shadow fleet” tankers grew. The contrast between higher shipment volumes and declining earnings illustrates the pressure Moscow faces to maintain output against sanctions and price caps.
Kyiv has vowed to intensify drone operations against Russian refineries, fuel depots, and export terminals, while export data shows Moscow’s resilience, despite revenues being under strain.
By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com
More Top Reads From Oilprice.com
