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Ploiești
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Nation / PlaceRO

Ploiești

Romanian oil-refining city bombed by the US in 1943 and 1944.

Ploiești is a Romanian oil-refining city 56 km north of Bucharest whose refineries US bombers raided on 1 August 1943, losing 53 of 177 aircraft. Its Petrotel refinery belongs to Lukoil's international Arm.

Last refreshed: 12 October 2026

Timeline for Ploiești

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Background

Ploiești is the seat of Prahova County in Romania, about 56 km north of Bucharest, and an oil-refining city. Its Petrotel refinery belongs to Lukoil International GmbH, the foreign Arm of the Russian oil company Lukoil, whose sale the US Treasury has licensed buyers to negotiate.

The city's refineries were the target of Operation Tidal Wave on 1 August 1943. US bombers lost 53 of 177 aircraft, yet output was back above its pre-raid level within weeks, because no follow-up raid came.

That history makes Ploiești the counter-example to Ukraine's strikes on Russian refineries. Kyiv returns to the same plants rather than relying on single blows, and by its own count on 4 October 2026 had disabled 51% of Russia's refining capacity.

Common Questions
What happened at Ploiești in 1943?
In Operation Tidal Wave on 1 August 1943, US bombers raided the Ploiești refineries and lost 53 of 177 aircraft. The refineries were back above pre-raid output within weeks.Source: Lowdown
Who owns the Petrotel refinery in Ploiești?
The Petrotel refinery in Ploiești belongs to Lukoil International GmbH, Lukoil's foreign Arm, whose sale the US has licensed buyers to negotiate.Source: OFAC
Where is Ploiești?
Ploiești is the seat of Prahova County in Romania, about 56 km north of Bucharest, and an oil-refining city.Source: Wikipedia