A Ukrainian drone strike damaged core units at the Moscow Refinery on September 20, intensifying pressure on a global diesel market already strained by refinery outages in Russia and supply disruptions in the Middle East. The Gazprom Neft facility processes about 12 million tonnes of crude annually, or roughly 245,000 barrels per day, and lies about 16 miles (25 kilometers) from the Kremlin. Ukrainian sources said the AVT-6 primary crude distillation unit and integrated processing units were hit, causing a large fire. The refinery supplies gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel to the Moscow metropolitan area and supports the Russian armed forces. The strike followed outages at the Yaroslavl, Syzran and Saratov refineries, leaving Russian diesel exports near a standstill, according to The Wall Street Journal. The resulting reduction in refining capacity is significant because crude production alone cannot replace lost facilities that convert oil into usable fuels. Global diesel futures and refining margins reached records last week. The U.S. heating oil crack spread (the price gap between fuel and crude) rose to $117 per barrel, while U.S. retail diesel reached $6.45 per gallon. The International Energy Agency said the market may be experiencing its tightest configuration ever recorded. Middle East conflict has also reduced exports after disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz and attacks affecting Red Sea shipments. Debate over a possible U.S. diesel export ban is adding uncertainty, although the American Petroleum Institute, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Dallas Federal Reserve and Columbia University have warned that such restrictions could reduce refinery activity and raise prices. The global diesel market is unlikely to ease in the near term.