Ukrainian Drones Hit Russia's Afipsky Refinery as the Country's Fuel Crisis Deepens

Ukrainian drones struck the 180,000 barrel per day Afipsky refinery in Russia's southern Krasnodar region on Monday night, 2 Shahrivar 1405 (August 24, 2026). According to Oilprice.com, Krasnodar governor Veniamin Kondratiev said in a Telegram post on Tuesday, 3 Shahrivar, that a fire broke out after the strike, at least 10 homes were damaged in the village of Afipskaya, and falling drone debris killed two people at the local railway station.

The refinery, owned by privately held ForteInvest, had been struck before, most recently last month. Ukraine has intensified drone strikes on Russian refineries since spring to weaken fuel supply to the front and the domestic market, and Russia's diesel exports fell this month to their lowest level in years. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, who oversees energy, said on Monday that some damaged refineries have resumed operations after repairs.