Ukraine hit a refinery in Russia’s Bashkortostan region overnight in a drone attack that sparked a fire, as Kyiv continues to target Russian energy infrastructure in an effort to reduce Russia’s fuel supply.

One of the refineries in Ufa, in the Bashkortostan republic, caught fire following the attack, regional governor Radiy Khabirov said on Wednesday.

Ufa and the surrounding area are home to three refineries, all owned and operated by Bashneft, a unit of Rosneft, Russia’s largest oil company.

Khabirov said in a social media post quoted by Bloomberg that the overnight Ukrainian attack caused “a small fire at one of the oil refineries,” adding that “the extent of the damage is being assessed.” Repairs are expected within a few days, according to the Russian official.

The refinery complex in Ufa is part of a wider network of facilities that help process crude into fuels used both domestically and for export, which is why repeated drone strikes on such sites have become a notable feature of the war’s energy front. For Russia, even temporary outages can matter during periods of tight fuel supply, especially when multiple sites are hit over time.

For several months, Ukraine has been carrying out near-daily drone attacks on Russian oil refineries, seeking to pressure President Vladimir Putin into peace negotiations while disrupting fuel supplies to the front line and to domestic gas stations.

Last week, Ukraine also struck Ust-Luga, Russia’s top Baltic Sea port for exports of oil and other commodities. The attack was not the first on Ust-Luga, which is a key export point for Russian crude oil, fuel, coal, fertilizers, and grain. The previous strike took place in early July.

Ukraine has stepped up drone attacks on Russian energy infrastructure this year, targeting refineries, Russia-linked tankers in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, and supply routes in an effort to curb Russia’s energy export revenues and domestic fuel supply.

Russia’s diesel and gasoil exports fell sharply in the first seven days of August to just 80,000 barrels per day (bpd), the lowest level in many years, as Moscow extended restrictions on diesel exports amid a fuel crisis triggered by repeated Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries.

During the peak demand season, Russia has faced gasoline and diesel shortages for more than three months after Ukraine’s drone campaign forced many major processing sites offline in the spring and summer.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com