Drone attacks on Russian oil facilities have tripled in the past two months as Ukraine scales up a campaign against energy infrastructure deep inside the country.
In January and December, drones targeted Russian oil refineries and depots in eight separate attacks, three times more than in the previous two months, analysis of open-source material by The i Paper suggests.
Analysts say that while these strikes have previously had minimal impact on Russia’s energy sector, the recent surge is now disrupting the export of oil, which fuels Moscow’s wartime economy.
On Wednesday, four Ukrainian drones targeted the Kstovo Oil Refinery in Nizhny Novgorod, approximately 500 miles from the front lines in eastern Ukraine
This marked the eighth strike in January alone, following earlier attacks that halted production at the Ryazan Oil Refinery, one of the four largest refineries in the country and a key supplier to the Russian military.
In December, Ukrainian drones targeted oil depots and refineries in Smolensk, Oryol, Bryansk, and Rostov — an area that had previously been targeted in July. The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces claimed that the July attack on the Rostov refinery destroyed 1.5 million tons of oil and oil products worth $540 million (£433m).
Oil refineries play a central role in Russia’s war effort, converting crude oil into products such as gasoline and diesel which fuel its tanks and fighter jets. In December alone, Russia still earned an estimated €652 million (£546m) in revenue daily from its fossil fuel exports, according to the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
Although attacks on oil refineries last year had appeared to be having little impact on Russia’s energy sector, a recent report found that Russian seaborne oil product exports fell nearly 10 per cent in 2024.
Total Russian oil processing also dipped to its lowest level since 2012, as refining margins weakened and unplanned outages took their toll.
People run from an explosion in Ryazan, south-east of Moscow (Photo: Social Media/via Reuters)The UK has issued a series of sanctions, targeting 20 vessels involved in the transportation of Russian oil in December, which is expected to reduce Russia’s oil exports by over four million barrels in 2024. Meanwhile, the US has ramped up its own production of oil and encouraged other countries to do the same, a strategy that would push down crude prices and choke a key revenue source for Moscow’s war effort.
While it remains unclear if this is part of a coordinated strategy between London, Kyiv and Washington, “tightening and enforcing sanctions and apparently being more willing to allow Ukraine to target Russia is welcome”, according to Keir Giles, an expert in Russian defence and security at Chatham House.
“The Biden administration, far from facilitating this, was actively opposing it, and trying to retrain Ukraine from doing too much damage to Russia’s energy industry.
“Targeting Russia’s ability to fund its war machine has long been identified as a means of attacking one of Russia’s few vulnerabilities.”
According to The i Paper’s analysis, Ukraine has launched more than 80 separate attacks on Russian oil refineries and depots since the start of 2024. The first strike of took place on 19 January, shortly after Kyiv announced its intention to target deep into Russian territory.
Since then, Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil infrastructure have escalated rapidly, with 12 attacks on refineries and depots in March, and 18 in April. A particularly aggressive series of strikes between 2 April and 4 disrupted 15 per cent of Russia’s refining capacity, Reuters reported, citing a Nato official.
Ukrainian drones strike one of Russia's largest oil refineries
Read MoreA major component of Ukraine’s offensive strategy targeting oil has been the use of cheap-to-make first-person-view drones.
These small, low-cost devices — often equipped with explosives — have become a potent weapon in the conflict, strike high-value targets while their operators remain safely behind enemy lines.
In January, Ukrainian officials claimed that its military now had drone models capable of reaching targets up to 1,500 miles inside Russia. “Our main goal is to conduct strikes on logistics hubs in the rear, ammunition warehouses, and decrease our enemy’s pressure on the front,” said a battalion commander from Ukraine’s 14th Unmanned Aerial Systems Regiment.
The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, also emphasised the importance of targeting Russia’s energy infrastructure.
“The less revenue Russia receives from oil and other energy resources, the sooner peace will be restored,” Zelensky posted on Telegram on 10 January.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Every Russian oil refinery attacked by Ukrainian drones, mapped )
Also on site :
- Apparent car explosion rocks Palm Springs, damages fertility clinic
- 215 ‘Kiss, Marry, Kill’ Game Questions That’ll Really Get a Party Going
- Iconic Actress, 75, Turns Heads in Rare Red Carpet Appearance