Ukraine Unleashes Long-Range Drone Blitz on Russian Oil, Striking Deep Inside Russia
Ukraine Unleashes Long-Range Drone Blitz on Russian Oil, Striking Deep Inside Russia
A series of long-range Ukrainian drone strikes is systematically targeting Russian oil infrastructure, hitting refineries, depots, and even a tanker far from the front lines in a campaign to cripple the fuel supply for Moscow's war machine.
In a significant escalation, Ukrainian forces struck a Russian oil tanker, the SIG, in the Mediterranean Sea overnight, marking the country's first such long-range maritime drone attack beyond the Black Sea [30364]. The vessel, which was carrying fuel for the Russian military, was damaged in its engine room and left immobilized [30364].
The strikes have also penetrated deep into Russian territory. A Ukrainian drone destroyed a major fuel reservoir at a Rosneft-operated oil depot in the city of Penza, approximately 500 kilometers from the Ukrainian border [59114]. Satellite imagery confirmed the destruction of one large storage tank and thermal damage to several others at the key logistics hub [59114].
Further attacks have hit a major oil refinery in the Krasnodar region and an oil depot north of Moscow, demonstrating Ukraine's growing reach against strategic energy targets hundreds of kilometers inside Russia [38601]. Another strike targeted the Slavyansk Eco refinery in southern Russia, which Kyiv states supplies fuel for military operations ">[59115].
While Ukraine confirms these attacks as legitimate strikes on military logistics, Russian officials have at times offered alternative explanations, such as blaming a refinery fire on falling debris from intercepted drones ">[59115]. President Vladimir Putin has condemned the strikes, arguing they aim to drive up global insurance costs and hinder Russian oil exports [30364].
The coordinated campaign represents a new phase in the conflict, moving beyond the battlefield to directly attack the energy infrastructure that funds and fuels Russia's invasion [30364].