It doesn’t stop there war intermediate energy Russia And Ukraine. An oil refinery in Saratov, Russia, was attacked by Ukrainian drones last night. The Kiev Independent wrote about this, citing a local Telegram channel that had shared footage showing an explosion in the building and a large fire. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, air defenses intercepted 37 drones overnight, including eight in Saratov Oblast. The region’s governor, Roman Busargin, said via Telegram that the drones damaged civilian infrastructure, but did not confirm whether the refinery was hit.
The last plant is affected
Russian media reported that regional airports temporarily imposed flight restrictions following the attack. The Saratov refinery produces more than 20 types of petroleum derivatives, including gasoline, diesel, fuel oil and bitumen. In 2023, the plant processed about 4.8 million tons of crude oil, according to the Ukrainian General Staff. Saratov is a major industrial center located about 150 kilometers from the border with Kazakhstan and about 600 kilometers east of the Ukrainian front line. The oil refinery was attacked by drones on November 3, the seventh attack on the facility since the start of 2025.
A combination of sanctions and attacks
Ukraine’s targeted attacks on Russia’s oil infrastructure, coupled with tightening Western sanctions, crippled the Kremlin’s energy sector and unexpectedly enriched Western oil companies. As Kiev Insider wrote, since mid-2025, Ukrainian drones have attacked around 160 oil extraction and refining facilities across Russia, including large refineries and export terminals.
The consequences for Moscow
Each attack has worsened Russia’s supply crisis and reduced its ability to export fuel. As a result, shipments of Russian oil products via tanker fell to around 2 million barrels per day in September, the lowest level since the full-scale invasion began.
Revenues of Western oil companies
The collapse of Russia’s refining capacity has sent global refining margins soaring. Four major Western oil companies – ExxonMobil, Chevron, BP and Shell – reported a 61% increase in refining profits in the third quarter compared to the previous quarter. ExxonMobil itself saw a 30% increase in its energy products division, reaching $1.84 billion.
The surge in profits came from a combination of military, political and market forces. Ukraine’s attacks have destroyed millions of barrels of Russian production capacity, while Western sanctions have made it difficult for Moscow to divert exports. Analysts expect Russian oil product exports to fall by around 500,000 barrels per day, according to data from Kpler. Further sanctions – including the US freezing of Rosneft and Lukoil assets and the European Union’s ban on petroleum products derived from Russian crude – have further tightened them. Meanwhile, Chinese refining companies, wary of secondary sanctions, have begun reducing purchases from Russia.
For Ukraine, these attacks not only damage the enemy’s war economy; they also reshaped global energy flows in ways that strengthened Kiev’s allies. Each successful attack on a refinery, storage terminal, or pipeline weakens Russia’s financial ability to finance its war, while at the same time giving Western refineries a greater share of the reduced global supply.
New profit map
The result is paradoxical: As Russia’s energy empire crumbles, Western oil giants post their highest refining margins in years. “Energy wars have become a zero-sum game – wrote a Ukrainian news site – and Ukraine’s increasing campaign against Russia’s oil infrastructure is changing the global map of profits and power.”
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