Drone strike on Druzhba hub in Tatarstan reportedly forces Russia to cut oil flows

Artur Kryzhnyi — 24 February, 21:02

The Transneft pumping station burning for the second day. Photo: social media

Russia's pipeline monopoly Transneft has reduced the amount of crude oil it takes into its system by about 250,000 barrels a day following a Ukrainian drone attack on its Kaleikino pumping station.

Source: Reuters citing sources

Details: One source said the cut mainly affected shipments from Tatneft, a producer based in Tatarstan.

According to a Ukrainian security official and industry sources, Ukrainian drones hit Kaleikino, a major pumping station which serves the Druzhba pipeline carrying Russian oil to eastern Europe and to Russia's main western ports.

The strike caused a fire at the station, which has a capacity of about one million barrels a day. It is located near the city of Almetyevsk in Russia's Republic of Tatarstan, over 1,200 km from the Russia-Ukraine border.

Kaleikino is a key node in the transportation of oil from western Siberia. Built in the 1970s, the station is a critical hub for pumping and blending: different grades of oil are combined to produce the medium-sulphur Urals export blend and the sweet Siberian Light grade.

Pipelines from Kaleikino supply oil to major ports in Russia's west, including Novorossiysk and Primorsk, as well as to the Druzhba pipeline. The station is also an important hub for supplies to Russian oil refineries.

The extent of the damage has not yet been assessed, but industry sources said that if the impact is severe it could affect Russian oil exports, including volumes and quality.

One source said that two storage tanks, each with a capacity of 50,000 tonnes, caught fire during the attack.

Background:

Supplies of Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia have been halted since 27 January, when Kyiv said a Russian drone strike had damaged Druzhba pipeline equipment in western Ukraine.
Hungary has blocked further EU sanctions against Russia and a major loan for Ukraine, increasing strains in Europe's pro-Ukraine consensus ahead of the fourth anniversary of the full-scale war.

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