Trade and shipping data revealed that Russia's seaborne vacuum gasoil and fuel oil exports fell 15% from the previous months to around 3.3 millions metric tons in February due to lower production and weather conditions, including storms, delays and drone attacks.

In 2025, Ukrainian drone attacks continued on Russian refineries. They affected infrastructure and fuel production.

In January, 2,28 million tons of Russia’s primary oil refinery capacity was offline. This rose to 3.5 million tonnes in February (about 54% of the refining capability), resulting in lower fuel production and port loads.

The Russian oil refinery in Ryazan, owned by Rosneft and operated by them, halted operations after a drone strike. According to data from sources, the refinery produced fuel oil in excess of 4.3 million tonnes last year.

In February, two other Rosneft oil refineries in Syzran (in Russia) and Saratov (in the Russian Federation) were also targeted by drones and oil processing was suspended.

Shipping data indicates that the amount of fuel oil and VGO exported via the Russian Baltic Port Ust-Luga dropped by 8% last month to approximately 1.5 million tons. This was partly due to a Koala tanker that ran aground after a blast occurred in its engine room.

The terminal is equipped with three berths to load fuel oil or vacuum gasoil. However, after the tanker accident, one berth was forced stop loading for at least two week.

According to shipping data, dirty oil products shipments from Russian Black Sea ports dropped by 21% in February, due to winter storms that prevented tanker loading.

Traders said that fuel cargoes delayed at ports on the Baltic and Black Sea will be loaded by March.

(source: Reuters)