From early 2024 to August 2025, Ukrainian drones struck between 61 and 81 Russian oil refineries and facilities, disabling 10–15% of the country’s processing capacity and triggering a sharp rise in fuel prices. Gasoline rose to 63 roubles per litre, 35–40% above pre-war levels. The Kremlin imposed export bans and rationing fuel cards to address internal shortages.
Strategic Ukrainian strikes crippled major plants, including Ryazan, Omsk, Volgograd and Novokuybyshevsk. Some facilities fully halted operations, and disruptions in logistics led to fuel shortages across multiple regions, especially Crimea and the Far East.
Sanctions and lack of technological access have made quick restoration impossible—repairs now take two to six months, while complete equipment replacement requires years and steep costs. Russia’s budget lost billions in export revenues due to forced bans.
As a result, Russia’s oil revenues fell to just 35% of pre-war highs, with oil and gas company profits halved, and the budget deficit rising fivefold in the first five months of 2025. The central bank raised rates to a record 21% to contain nearly 10% inflation.
The systematic crisis in oil refining caused growing social tension, structural economic decline and forced Russia from a value-added exporter to a supplier of discounted crude. Ukraine’s strategic campaign proved effective in damaging infrastructure even 2,000 km behind the front, reshaping the energy sector’s balance.
