Rosneft Saratov Refinery Halts Operations After Third Drone Attack in August

The Saratov oil refinery in Russia, operated by Rosneft, has halted crude oil intake following a Ukrainian drone attack on August 10 that caused explosions, fires, and casualties, including one death and several injuries. This facility, with a processing capacity of approximately 140,000 barrels per day, is the third Russian refinery to be targeted and damaged by drone strikes this month, alongside the Ryazan refinery, which halved output, and the Novokuibyshevsk refinery, which was completely shut down earlier in August. The shutdowns from these attacks threaten to reduce domestic gasoline and diesel supplies amid a seasonal increase in fuel demand, potentially prompting Russia to increase crude oil exports from western ports. Ukraine regularly targets Russian oil infrastructure as part of its military strategy, though it rarely officially claims credit for specific attacks. These developments occur amid ongoing hostilities and ahead of a scheduled meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, with unresolved disputes over Ukraine's eastern provinces casting doubts on the talks' prospects. Russia's shift toward higher crude exports reflects the impact of these attacks on refining capacity and domestic fuel availability.