Satellite analysis shows Moscow refinery Kapotnya out of operation since May
Russian satellite data indicate that the Kapotnya refinery near Moscow has remained non-functional for at least a month after a June explosion, while the Kstovo plant in Nizhny Novgorod continues to run most of its capacity.
Satellite imagery from the private Constelrr constellation, which offers 30-metre resolution and high thermal sensitivity, has been used to assess damage to two major Russian oil facilities. The Kapotnya refinery in the southeastern outskirts of Moscow suffered a large explosion in June that blew the roof off a storage tank. Analysis of images taken on 23 May and 27 July shows the plant’s sole AVT-6 processing unit cold, indicating it has not been operating for at least a month and had not resumed activity by late July.
In contrast, the Kstovo refinery in Nizhny Novgorod, which processes about 17 million tonnes of crude annually, was hit by drone attacks on several dates. Satellite data show that one of its five AVT-6 units remained offline, but the remaining four continued to run, limiting the impact on overall fuel output.
The findings were reported by the Russian exile outlet Meduza, which cited the higher-resolution Constelrr data as more reliable than the broader-scale NASA FIRMS system for evaluating post-strike conditions at oil installations.