Russia’s seaborne fuel oil and vacuum gasoil exports dropped 15% in February from the previous month to around 3.3 million metric tons due to lower production, stormy weather, delayed loadings and drone attacks, trade and shipping data showed.
Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian refineries continued in 2025, affecting infrastructure and fuel production volumes.
According to Reuters calculations based on data from industry sources, 2.28 million tons of Russia’s primary oil refining capacity was offline in January and rose to around 3.5 million tons in February – about 54% of refining capacity – leading to the lower fuel production and port loadings.
Russia’s Ryazan oil refinery, owned and run by Rosneft, suspended operations in January after a drone attack. Last year the refinery produced 4.3 million tons of fuel oil, according to source-based data.
Two other Rosneft-owned oil refineries – in Syzran and Saratov – were also hit by drone attacks and suspended oil processing in February.
Fuel oil and VGO export loadings via the Russian Baltic port of Ust-Luga decreased last month by 8% to around 1.5 million tons, shipping data shows, partly due to the Koala tanker which ran aground following a blast in its engine room.
Though the terminal has three berths for loading fuel oil and vacuum gasoil, one of the berths was forced to halt loadings for at least two weeks following the tanker incident.
Dirty oil product shipments from the Russian Black Sea ports fell in February by around 21%, according to shipping data, as winter storms prevented tanker loadings.
Fuel cargoes delayed in Baltic and Black Sea ports will be loaded in March, traders said.
Source: Reuters
