Attacks on Russian refineries could affect global energy markets. Ukraine is better off focusing on military goals - Austin
Ukraine’s attacks on oil refineries in Russia could affect global energy markets. Austin called on Ukraine to focus on attacks on military targets.
According to Censor.NET, citing Bloomberg, Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin said this at a meeting of the US Senate Armed Services Committee.
"Such attacks can affect the global energy situation. Ukraine is better to hit tactical and operational targets that can directly affect the battle," the Pentagon chief said.
Republican Senator Tom Cotton responded to Austin's remarks on the attacks on Russian oil refineries.
"It seems to me that the Biden administration does not want gas prices to rise in an election year," he said.
Criticism of Austin's words about the attacks on Russian refineries was also expressed by the expert community.
"It's very strange that the US Secretary of Defence said this, because it doesn't make sense as long as only Russian refineries are affected. From a military point of view, the value of limiting the domestic availability of enemy transport fuel is quite clear," Edward Hunter Christie, a former NATO official and expert at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, wrote on the social network X (formerly Twitter ).
What is known about Ukraine's strikes on Russian refineries
As reported, on 2 April, drones attacked a Russian oil refinery complex in Nizhnekamsk, Tatarstan. The attack on the refinery was a joint operation by the SSU and DIU.
This is the Taneko refinery of the Russian company Tatneft, located about 1,300 kilometers from the front line. The drone hit the primary refining unit, which processes about 155,000 barrels of oil per day, but the damage to the unit is not critical, Russian officials say.
According to Reuters, in the first quarter of 2024, at least seven Russian oil refineries shut down due to attacks by Ukrainian drones. The strikes affected the refining capacity of 4.6 million tonnes of oil, or 7% of Russia's total refining volume.
Fears of a decline in production have led to a rapid rise in the price of petrol and diesel in Russia.
On the night of 23 March, Russian telegram channels reported explosions and a fire at another Russian refinery, the Kuibyshev Oil Refinery in the Samara region of Russia. CDU-5, one of the two primary refining units, was shut down at the refinery. The refinery lost half of its capacity.
On the night of 15 March, drones attacked the Russian oil refinery Pervyi Zavod in the Kaluga region. The plant's equipment was damaged and a fire broke out.
On 13 March, the Novoshakhtyn refinery in the Rostov region of Russia suspended operations after a drone attack. It is the largest supplier of petroleum products in southern Russia and the only refinery in the Rostov region. Its full capacity is 5.6 million tonnes.
On the same day, drones attacked Rosneft's Ryazan refinery, damaging two primary oil processing units. These units account for 70% of the refinery's capacity, but the owner of the refinery conceals the extent of the damage.
On the night of 12 March, drones attacked Lukoil's refinery in the Nizhny Novgorod region, which also suspended operations. The strike disabled the refinery's largest oil refining unit, which accounted for 53% of refining at the refinery.
