The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, following an analysis of additional data, has confirmed the shutdown of two major Russian oil refining facilities. These are the "LUKOIL-Nizhnevoltnefteorgsintez" refinery in Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, and the "NOVATEK-Ust-Luga" complex in the settlement of Slobodka, Leningrad Oblast. This was reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing the operational command of the Ukrainian General Staff. The confirmation came several days after the strikes themselves, which is typical for the procedure of verifying attack results based on intelligence and monitoring data.

Strike on Kstovo: Top-5 Russian Refinery Halted

The "LUKOIL-Nizhnevoltnefteorgsintez" facility in Kstovo was hit on August 26. According to the General Staff, it was after this strike that the plant ceased operations. The Kstovo refinery ranks among the five largest oil refining enterprises in Russia and, according to Ukrainian military sources, is involved in supplying the needs of the Russian armed forces. This is not the first strike on this facility: as early as July 2026, the Ukrainian forces hit the primary oil processing unit at this plant, with the distance from the border to the target being approximately 800 kilometers. The regularity of attacks on Kstovo indicates that the facility is regarded by the Ukrainian side as a priority target within the campaign to weaken Russia's energy potential.

"NOVATEK-Ust-Luga": Oil Spill and Hydrocracking Damage

The shutdown of the "NOVATEK-Ust-Luga" complex in the settlement of Slobodka, Leningrad Oblast, has been confirmed following the strike of September 1. According to General Staff data, the attack hit the pipelines between the oil delivery pump station and the storage tanks, resulting in an oil product spill covering an area of 200 square meters. The primary gas condensate processing unit and two columns of the hydrocracking unit were also hit. In addition, a burning pipeline in the tank farm was recorded, with an oil product spill covering an area of 250 square meters. The cumulative damage to the infrastructure, according to Ukrainian military estimates, led to a complete shutdown of the facility.

Strategic Context: Energy as a Target

Both hit facilities, as emphasized by the Ukrainian General Staff, are involved in supplying the needs of the Russian armed forces. This confirms the logic of the strike campaign against oil refining infrastructure that Ukraine has been conducting throughout the conflict. The simultaneous shutdown of the refineries in Kstovo and Ust-Luga reduces Russia's refining capacity in two different regions — the Volga and North-Western Federal Districts — complicating logistics and the redistribution of oil products. The Kstovo plant, being one of the largest in the country, processes a significant volume of crude oil, while the Ust-Luga complex plays a key role in the export and processing of gas condensate in the northwest of the country.

Timeline and Verification

The strike on the Kstovo refinery was carried out on August 26, and on "NOVATEK-Ust-Luga" on September 1. The official confirmation of the shutdowns by the Ukrainian General Staff came on September 3–4, which corresponds to the standard procedure of analyzing additional intelligence data. Earlier, in July, a strike had already been delivered on Kstovo's primary oil processing unit. Thus, by the beginning of September 2026, the Kstovo refinery had been subjected to at least two confirmed attacks in three months, indicating the systematic nature of the strikes on this facility.