Ukraine strikes oil-processing plants in Russia’s Perm region and Tatarstan

Ukraine hit oil-processing facilities in Russia’s Perm region and Tatarstan overnight, continuing a campaign of long-range drone strikes that has now reached the majority of Russia’s top refineries. The targets, the Lukoil-Permnefteorgsintez refinery in Perm and the TANECO facility in Nizhnekamsk, represent two of Russia’s most significant fuel-processing hubs. Together, these two plants handle roughly 29 million tons of crude oil per year. Knocking them offline, even temporarily, creates real problems for a country trying to keep both a wartime military and a civilian economy fueled. A pattern that keeps repeating The Perm refinery has become something of a frequent flyer on Ukraine’s target list. Drone strikes hit the Lukoil-Permnefteorgsintez facility on April 30, then again on May 7-8, July 29, and August 21 this year. The plant processes approximately 13 million tons of crude annually, and repeated attacks on its primary distillation units have forced multiple operational halts. TANECO, located in Tatarstan’s Nizhnekamsk, is an even larger facility with capacity exceeding 16 million tons per year. Ukrainian drones struck the plant on June 12 and July 8, with confirmed fires an...