Oil production cuts in Russia are becoming inevitable after Ukrainian strikes on ports, pipelines, and oil refining infrastructure, which have reduced the country's export capacity by approximately 1 million barrels per day, or 20% of its total capacity. This was reported by Reuters, citing industry sources, writes UNN.
Details
According to the agency's sources, the Russian pipeline system has begun to overflow with oil, and available storage facilities are rapidly filling up. Because of this, some fields will likely have to reduce production to avoid overloading the system.
Additional pressure is created by the shutdown or limited operation of key export routes, including the Baltic ports of Ust-Luga and Primorsk.
The problem is exacerbated by refinery repairs and logistical bottlenecks
The situation is also complicated by seasonal maintenance at Russian refineries. During this period, some refining traditionally stops, so the surplus of crude oil in the system only increases. Reuters also notes that the reduced capacity of certain export routes, particularly "Druzhba," remains an additional limitation.
According to OPEC's assessment, Russia produced 9.184 million barrels of oil per day in February 2026. For the Russian budget, a further decline in production is sensitive, as oil and gas revenues account for about a quarter of state revenues.
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