Ukrainian officials reported Saturday that the refinery, which is 1,400 kilometers from the current front line of fighting, was struck by at least one of several drones launched at it by Ukraine’s armed forces. Ukrainian forces posted a video of a fire burning at the refinery after the attack.

Russian officials reported that the country’s defenses had intercepted drones aimed at the refinery but did not acknowledge it had been struck. Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform reported that the attack and fire damaged one of the refinery’s main crude distillation units and caused it to be shut down.

Refineries and other links in Russia’s energy and fuels supply chain have become a focus of drone attacks by Ukraine, which is attempting to disrupt Russia’s ability to supply its war machine and to damage one of its key industries. The list of refineries attacked previously includes Lukoil’s refinery in Volgograd and a Rosneft refinery in Novokuybyshevsk.

Assessing base oil impacts from such attacks has been difficult, partly because Russia provides little information. Ray Masson, who writes Lubes’n’Greases Weekly EMEA Base Oil Price Report has reported that Russian base oil exports are from the Baltic and Black seas appear to be down sharply, though the reason is unclear.

The Volgograd refinery has a base oil plant with capacity to make 500,000 t/y of Group I, II and III oils, while the Novokuybyshevsk plant can make 350,000 t/y of Group I.