The Orsk refinery, hit two days ago, is completely shut down, and repairs could take up to six months due to sanctions. Russia retaliated with an attack on Ukraine's largest grain export port.
After a Ukrainian drone struck the oil refinery in the Russian city of Orsk two days ago, the facility had to completely halt operations, with estimates suggesting recovery could take up to six months. The news was confirmed on Thursday, August 13, 2026, by the governor of the Orenburg region, Yevgeny Solntsev, who warned of fuel supply disruptions.
"Shrapnel damaged critical infrastructure that cannot be repaired at the moment. The equipment is imported, and due to sanctions, repairs could take up to six months. The facility is completely shut down," Solntsev announced on social media.
The governor described the situation as severe but manageable. "We are preparing for the worst-case scenario and will have to rely on fuel supplies imported from outside the region," he added. Currently, 80 percent of the 287 gas stations in the region are operational, with priority given to emergency and specialized vehicles.
"While the situation is not easy everywhere, it is manageable. I would like to appeal to every driver-please be patient," Solntsev urged. Traffic police and volunteers are managing the flow of vehicles as drivers search for fuel.
The Ukrainian military stated on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, that it had attacked the Orsk refinery and set it ablaze. This facility is located near the Kazakh border, approximately 1,470 kilometers southeast of Russia's capital. The plant's crude oil refining capacity is six million metric tons per year, producing gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, fuel oil, bitumen, and other petroleum products.
This year, Ukraine has intensified attacks on Russian refineries, leading to significant fuel availability issues across Russia.
Russia attacked Ukraine's largest grain export port on the Danube, Izmail, on Thursday, local authorities reported. The port is located in the southern Odesa region, near the border with Romania. The attack damaged infrastructure and caused a power outage in the southern part of the city. Prior to this, Ukraine had struck Novorossiysk, Russia's main grain export port on the Black Sea.
President Volodymyr Zelensky, in an interview with CNN on Wednesday evening, August 12, 2026, asked the United States for Patriot missile interceptors. "Sell us five percent to survive the winter and save lives. If you can sell us ten percent, we will destroy Russian ballistic missiles. We currently have one percent," he stated.
Ukrainian Air Force spokesman Yuriy Ihnat said that Russia launched 450 different missiles at Ukraine in July alone, more than half of which were ballistic.
According to Russian sources, an exchange of fallen soldiers' bodies took place on Thursday, as reported by the Telegram channel Operatyvne ZSU. The Russian side handed over 261 bodies, with official confirmation from Ukrainian authorities expected.
