By Robert Harvey
(Reuters) -U.S. President Donald Trump is set to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, with energy markets watching closely for developments that could change global oil and gas supplies.
Trump said on Thursday that Putin appeared ready to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, after warning a day earlier of “serious consequences” for Russia if no peace deal was reached.
Sanctions easing remains uncertain, particularly given European resistance to any bilateral U.S.-Russia deal. However a ceasefire could bring a halt to attacks on energy facilities in both Russia and Ukraine.
Following is a summary of attacks in recent weeks on key energy sites in Russia, one of the world’s biggest energy producers.
SYZRAN REFINERY
The Ukrainian military said on Friday that it had struck the Syzran oil refinery in Russia’s Samara region overnight.
In a statement on the Telegram messaging app, Kyiv’s military reported a fire and explosions at the refinery.
VOLGOGRAD REFINERY
The Ukrainian military said on August 14 its drones hit a Russian refinery in the Volgograd region, causing huge fires.
The Volgograd refinery, operated by Lukoil, was forced to halt operations for a little over a week back in February after a drone strike.
BRYANSK PUMPING STATION
Ukraine’s military said on August 13 that its drones struck the Uniecha oil pumping station in Russia’s Bryansk region. Damage and a large scale fire were reported. However, crude flows through the Druzhba pipeline system were not affected.
KRASNODAR REGION REFINERIES
A small fire ignited by debris from a destroyed drone was promptly doused at the Slavyansk oil refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar region, authorities said on August 13, with no casualties reported.
On August 7, fallen drone debris caused a fire at the Afipsky refinery also in Krasnodar region, though the extent of the damage was not immediately clear.
On July 7, debris fell on Russia’s Ilsky oil refinery in the Krasnodar region due to a drone attack.
SARATOV REFINERY
Ukraine said it struck an oil refinery in Russia’s Saratov region in an overnight drone attack on August 10, causing an explosion and fire, though the extent of the damage was unclear.
The Saratov refinery was forced to suspend fuel production after a drone strike in February.
SOCHI OIL DEPOT
A Ukrainian drone attack on August 3 caused two oil tanks to catch fire at an oil depot in Sochi in southern Russia, but the blazes were later extinguished, local authorities said.
NOVOKUIBYSHEVSK REFINERY
Primary oil processing at Russia’s Novokuibyshevsk refinery, which is operated by oil company Rosneft, has been halted since August 2 following a Ukrainian drone attack the previous week, two industry sources said.
RYAZAN REFINERY
The Ryazan oil refinery, also operated by Rosneft, halted around half of its refining capacity on August 2 following a Ukrainian drone attack, three industry sources said.
The Ryazan refinery has been struck several times. It was forced to halt operations after a drone strike in late-January, and again in February.
(Reporting by Robert Harvey in London. Editing by Mark Potter)
Comments