--- title: "Sikorski: NATO's European Air Force Will Destroy Half of Russia's Refineries Without US Involvement" description: "Polish Foreign Minister Sikorski stated that NATO's European air force, without US involvement, is capable of destroying half of Russia's refineries. Moscow criticized the statement, calling it \"Russophobia.\"" date: 2026-09-14T12:32:00.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/sikorski-nato-european-air-force-destroy-half-russia-refineries-without-us tags: [nato, poland, russia, oil-refineries, sikorski, military, ukraine, iea] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Sikorski: NATO's European Air Force Will Destroy Half of Russia's Refineries Without US Involvement ![Sikorski at a press conference in front of TV microphones stating NATO plans to strike Russian refineries](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/14/sikorski-nato-aviacia-unichtozhit-npz-rossii-bez-ssha/sikorski-nato-aviacia-unichtozhit-npz-rossii-bez-ssha-1.webp) ## 🎯 Key Points - Sikorski stated that NATO's European air force without the US will destroy 50% of Russia's refineries faster than Ukraine is doing - IEA worsened its forecast for oil refining in the Russian Federation to ~4 million barrels/day (βˆ’30% from the pre-war level) - Zakharova criticized the statement, calling it "cerebral Russophobia" and distorting its meaning - Sikorski spoke about a Russia–NATO conflict, not a bilateral confrontation between Moscow and Warsaw RadosΕ‚aw Sikorski, Poland's Foreign Minister, stated in a post on the social network X that in the event of Russian aggression against NATO, the Alliance's European air force, relying on air superiority, is capable of destroying half of Russia's oil refineries even without direct US involvement. According to him, such an operation would be carried out "faster than Ukraine," which has been carrying out precision strikes on refineries using drones for several years. The statement was made following Sikorski's visit to Kyiv and was interpreted as a demonstration of the readiness of European Alliance countries to independently deter Moscow. ### Context: the state of Russian oil refining The Polish minister's statement came against the backdrop of worsening forecasts by the International Energy Agency (IEA) regarding oil refining in Russia. According to IEA data, the total refining output for the next 18 months is estimated at approximately 4 million barrels per day β€” 30% below the pre-war level. The agency notes that the industry is facing growing difficulties due to regular strikes by Ukrainian drones, while the restoration of damaged facilities is proceeding in a piecemeal manner and does not allow for compensating the losses. The combined impact of the attacks and prolonged repairs is gradually weakening the entire oil refining system in the Russian Federation. ### Moscow's reaction: "cerebral Russophobia" At the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the official spokesperson Maria Zakharova commented on Sikorski's statement. She criticized the words of the Polish minister, calling them "cerebral Russophobia," and asserted that Sikorski allegedly spoke about the possibility of a quick Polish victory over Russia. Thus, at the Russian foreign policy department, the interpretation of the statement was significantly narrowed: instead of a potential conflict between Russia and NATO, the focus was placed on a hypothetical bilateral war between Moscow and Warsaw. ### Contradictory data There is a fundamental discrepancy in interpretation between the original source and the Russian reaction. According to RBC-Ukraine and Polish media, Sikorski discussed exclusively the scenario of a direct conflict between Russia and NATO as a whole, emphasizing the role of the Alliance's collective air force and its air superiority. None of the European sources citing his post mention the thesis of a "quick Polish victory." At the same time, Russian media β€” life.ru, vz.ru β€” and Zakharova's statement build a narrative in which Sikorski allegedly called for a war precisely between Poland and Russia. Thus, one side speaks of NATO's collective deterrence, while the other β€” of a hypothetical bilateral confrontation, creating a notable information gap in the presentation of the same statement. ### Broader context: NATO's activation on Russia's borders Sikorski's statement fits into the broader course of Polish diplomacy aimed at strengthening the Alliance's military presence in Eastern Europe. As "Vzglyad" reports, citing data from September 13, 2026, Poland's Foreign Minister previously called on NATO to intensify exercises near the Russian borders. The totality of these signals indicates that Warsaw is consistently working to create the impression in Moscow of Europe's readiness for an independent military response in the event of escalation, not limiting itself to the framework of the American security umbrella. ## πŸ” Fact-Check Verification - [NATO is capable of destroying half of Russia's refineries without the US, - Sikorski](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/nato-zdatne-znishchiti-polovinu-npz-rosiyi-1789388882.html) - Основной источник: прямая Ρ†ΠΈΡ‚Π°Ρ‚Π° Бикорского ΠΈΠ· X, контСкст Π²ΠΈΠ·ΠΈΡ‚Π° Π² Π£ΠΊΡ€Π°ΠΈΠ½Ρƒ, Π΄Π°Π½Π½Ρ‹Π΅ IEA, рСакция Π—Π°Ρ…Π°Ρ€ΠΎΠ²ΠΎΠΉ. - [Polish Foreign Minister assessed NATO's chances of destroying Russian refineries](https://caliber.az/post/glava-mid-polshi-ocenil-shansy-nato-unichtozhit-rossijskie-npz) - НСзависимоС ΠΏΠΎΠ΄Ρ‚Π²Π΅Ρ€ΠΆΠ΄Π΅Π½ΠΈΠ΅ содСрТания заявлСния Бикорского ΠΎ возмоТностях СвропСйской Π°Π²ΠΈΠ°Ρ†ΠΈΠΈ НАВО. - [Sikorski stated that Poland would quickly defeat Russia in the event of an attack](https://life.ru/p/za-shest-nedel-glava-mid-polshi-razmechtalsya-o-voyne-s-rossiey-i-udarah-po-npz) - РоссийскоС ΠΈΠ·Π΄Π°Π½ΠΈΠ΅ ΠΈΠ½Ρ‚Π΅Ρ€ΠΏΡ€Π΅Ρ‚ΠΈΡ€ΡƒΠ΅Ρ‚ заявлСниС Бикорского ΠΊΠ°ΠΊ ΠΏΡ€ΠΈΠ·Ρ‹Π² ΠΊ Π²ΠΎΠΉΠ½Π΅ Польши с РоссиСй, Ρ‡Ρ‚ΠΎ Π½Π΅ соотвСтствуСт тСксту Π΅Π³ΠΎ поста Π² X. - [Polish Foreign Minister called on NATO to intensify exercises near Russia's borders](https://vz.ru/news/2026/9/13/1450886.html) - ΠšΠΎΠ½Ρ‚Π΅ΠΊΡΡ‚Π½Ρ‹ΠΉ ΠΌΠ°Ρ‚Π΅Ρ€ΠΈΠ°Π» ΠΎΡ‚ 13.09.2026: ΠΏΡ€ΠΈΠ·Ρ‹Π² Бикорского ΠΊ ΡƒΡΠΈΠ»Π΅Π½ΠΈΡŽ ΡƒΡ‡Π΅Π½ΠΈΠΉ НАВО Ρƒ Π³Ρ€Π°Π½ΠΈΡ† Π Π€, дополняСт ΠΊΠ°Ρ€Ρ‚ΠΈΠ½Ρƒ курса польской Π΄ΠΈΠΏΠ»ΠΎΠΌΠ°Ρ‚ΠΈΠΈ. ## ❓ FAQ ### Q: What exactly did Sikorski state about Russia's refineries? **A:** According to him, in the event of Russian aggression against NATO, the air force of the Alliance's European part, thanks to air superiority, would be able to destroy half of Russia's oil refineries even without US involvement β€” and faster than Ukraine is doing with the help of drones. ### Q: Why did Moscow criticize this statement? **A:** The official spokesperson of the Russian MFA, Maria Zakharova, called Sikorski's words "cerebral Russophobia" and asserted that he allegedly spoke about a quick Polish victory over Russia. Meanwhile, Sikorski discussed a conflict between Russia and NATO as a whole, not a bilateral confrontation between Moscow and Warsaw. ### Q: What is the state of Russian oil refining according to IEA data? **A:** The International Energy Agency estimates oil refining in the Russian Federation for the next 18 months at approximately 4 million barrels per day β€” 30% below the pre-war level. The industry is suffering from regular Ukrainian drone strikes, while the restoration of facilities is proceeding in a piecemeal manner. ### Q: When was Sikorski's statement made? **A:** The post on X appeared against the backdrop of Sikorski's visit to Ukraine; Russian and Polish media covered it on September 13–14, 2026.