Russia Posts Highest Oil Export Levels Since 2022 Amid Drone Assaults on Refineries

Russia is currently shipping record volumes of crude oil, marking its highest export levels since the onset of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. This surge is largely driven by Kyiv’s intensified drone campaign against Russian refineries, which has reduced domestic processing capacity and forced more barrels into international markets.

According to Bloomberg data, Moscow’s year-to-date exports are averaging 3.46 million barrels per day. This figure sits approximately 120,000 barrels per day above 2025 levels and surpasses the annual averages recorded every year since Russian troops entered Ukraine in February 2022.

The current high volume represents a rebound from a previous downturn caused by Ukrainian strikes on critical export terminals in the Black Sea and Baltic regions. As Kyiv has shifted its operational focus back toward Russia’s internal refining and pumping infrastructure, export flows have stabilized and grown.

In May, drone attacks on refineries reached historic highs, driving processing rates to a 16-year low. In response to the damage, Moscow prohibited jet fuel exports, adding to existing restrictions on gasoline sales abroad. Analysts suggest that the disruption to processing plants directly contributes to the increased availability of crude for overseas shipment.

Tanker-movement data compiled by Bloomberg indicates that the four-week average for crude shipments stood at 3.64 million barrels per day through May 31, a slight dip from the revised figure of 3.68 million barrels per day recorded in the preceding 28 days ending May 24.

The financial value of these recent shipments has notably climbed, exceeding even the peak values observed during the initial months of the Ukraine war. This increase is attributed to a spike in global oil prices, fueled by the conflict in Iran and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Following US and Israeli attacks on Iran in late February, Tehran effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint responsible for transporting roughly 15 million barrels of crude daily from the Persian Gulf. With only about one-third of this volume successfully rerouted through alternative paths, global refiners have been forced to seek other sources, driving up the price of Russian crude in tandem with global benchmarks.

Political developments have further facilitated these sales. US President Donald Trump’s decision to waive sanctions on Russian shipments has eased restrictions, particularly benefiting Indian processors who have increased their purchases.

Consequently, Russia’s daily exports over the past four weeks have run approximately 300,000 barrels per day higher than in the first quarter. This trend has caused the total volume of Russian oil at sea to rise steadily, reaching 124 million barrels on Sunday—a 25% increase from the mid-April low. Tanker-tracking data reveals that nearly all of this inventory is currently in transit rather than idle.

Source: Yahoo News Generated at: 2026-06-03 10:57:23 UTC