Ukraine Unleashes Drone Blitz, Crippling 40% of Russia's Oil Exports

Ukraine Unleashes Drone Blitz, Crippling 40% of Russia's Oil Exports Ukraine is systematically dismantling Russia's critical oil export network with a wave of long-range drone strikes, targeting terminals that handle nearly half of the Kremlin's seaborne crude shipments in a bid to slash the revenue funding its war machine. In a series of precise attacks over recent days, Ukrainian forces have repeatedly hit major Russian oil hubs on the Baltic and Black Seas. The campaign has focused on the Ust-Luga complex on the Baltic Sea, a vital gateway for Russian fuel, striking it twice within 72 hours and forcing temporary shutdowns [123057][123064]. Another successful strike damaged the Sheskharis oil terminal in Novorossiysk, a facility that handles between 3.5 and 4.5 million tonnes of crude monthly [122400]. Ukrainian officials state these strikes have disabled over 40% of Russia's seaborne oil export capacity [122398]. The strategy aims to choke off a primary source of state income, which has surged due to higher global oil prices, money that is then used to purchase weapons from allies like Iran [123062]. "The goal is to damage a key source of funding for the Russian military," a military analyst said of the coordinated strategy [123057]. The operations demonstrate Ukraine's growing technological reach. Drones have struck targets hundreds of kilometers from the front line, including deep in occupied Crimea where a fuel depot at the Feodosiia Marine Oil Terminal was set ablaze in an attack visible from space [123982]. In a separate tactical victory, Ukrainian forces destroyed advanced Russian air defense systems, including a Buk-M3 and a Tor-M2 launcher, in occupied Luhansk Oblast [123982]. Beyond energy, Ukraine continues to pressure Russian military assets in the Black Sea. In a major escalation, powerful naval drones targeted the Russian Black Sea Fleet's new flagship, the frigate *Admiral Makarov* [122549]. This follows the combat debut of the Swedish-supplied RBS 15 "sea skimmer" missile, a weapon designed to sink warships that Ukraine has adapted for ground launches [123056]. Despite the offensive campaign, President Volodymyr Zelensky has proposed a temporary "energy ceasefire" to the United States mediators, offering to halt strikes on Russian energy infrastructure if Moscow stops attacking Ukrainian power plants and electrical grids [122336]. Ukraine Strikes Russian Oil Hub, Hunts Air Defenses Deep in Occupied Territory Ukraine Targets Russia's Baltic Oil Lifeline Ukraine Strikes Russian Oil, Targeting Iran's War Profits Ukraine Strikes Key Russian Oil Port—Again Ukraine Hits Key Russian Oil Terminal, But Target Disputed Ukraine Strikes Key Russian Oil Hub and Military Aircraft in Crimea Ukraine Targets Russia's New Black Sea Flagship in Major Drone Strike Ukraine Fires Swedish "Sea Skimmer" Missile in Combat Debut Ukraine Proposes "Energy Ceasefire" After Hitting Russian Oil Ukraine Proposes "Energy Truce" to Russia, Zelensky Says