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Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries spark fuel crisis in Central Asia

OilPrice reports the Omsk refinery, with annual capacity near 22 million tons of crude, was knocked offline, intensifying supply shortages and pushing Kyrgyzstan into emergency energy measures.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Energy

Ukraine’s sustained attacks on Russia’s oil refining capacity have triggered an energy disruption across Central Asia, according to OilPrice. The outlet says the outages expose how years of short-term energy policymaking left the region with limited diversification and no coordinated strategy to absorb major supply shocks.

OilPrice reports that Ukrainian drones knocked the Omsk refinery offline, describing it as one of Russia’s largest processing facilities, with an annual crude capacity of nearly 22 million tons. The disruption has forced Central Asian governments, particularly Kyrgyzstan, into emergency mode.

OilPrice also points to experts saying the war’s impacts have effectively reached the region through tightening supply lines from Russia, higher costs, and the prospect of rationing. Luca Anceschi, a professor of Central Asian Studies at the University of Glasgow, told RFE/RL that governments in the area tend to prioritize short-term political stability over long-term energy planning, focusing on how to export resources rather than meeting domestic needs.

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