Russia's Perm Oil Refinery Halts Operations After Drone Attack

Russia’s Perm oil refinery has halted operations following a drone attack on Friday, September 25, according to Reuters. The Perm facility is one of Russia’s largest inland refining centers, and its shutdown represents a significant disruption to domestic fuel processing capacity.

What We Know

Reuters, citing sources, reported that the Perm refinery ceased operations in the wake of the Friday drone strike. The attack is the latest in a sustained campaign of long-range drone strikes targeting Russian oil and energy infrastructure, which has previously knocked offline refining capacity at multiple sites across Russia. As of publication time, no group had officially claimed responsibility for the Perm attack.

The Perm refinery, located in Russia’s Ural region roughly 1,100 kilometers east of Moscow, processes crude from western Siberian fields and supplies fuel to a broad stretch of central Russia. Earlier drone strikes on Russian refining sites have forced temporary shutdowns and contributed to periodic fuel supply pressure within Russia. The Perm shutdown follows a pattern of escalating strikes against high-value Russian energy targets that have drawn repeated Kremlin condemnation without halting the campaign.

What We Don’t Know

The full extent of damage at Perm has not been confirmed. It is unclear how long the refinery will remain offline, what portion of its processing capacity was affected, or whether there were casualties at the facility. Official attribution for the attack had not been established at publication time.

Context

Ukraine has systematically struck Russian oil refining and fuel storage infrastructure since 2024, aiming to degrade supply chains to Russian frontline forces and reduce Moscow’s energy export revenues. A shutdown at the Perm refinery adds to cumulative pressure on Russia’s domestic energy system at a moment when the broader conflict shows no signs of abating. The attack occurs alongside continued Russian strikes on Ukrainian industrial targets: see our report on Russia’s strike on Ukraine’s biggest steelmaker. For the diplomatic backdrop, see coverage of Putin’s stated peace positions and the US-UAE-Ukraine trilateral talks.

What to Watch

1. Whether Reuters or Ukrainian military sources confirm the scale of damage and provide a timeline for restart.
2. Impact on Russian domestic fuel prices and logistics, particularly supply to frontline and Ural-region distribution networks.
3. Whether European energy markets react to the latest disruption to Russian refining capacity, particularly diesel and jet fuel spreads.