Ukraine Strikes Russian Oil Facilities and Ports

In southern Russia’s Krasnodar region, authorities said fires at an oil depot in Tikhoretsk and at the Tuapse oil terminal had been extinguished.

Ukrainian forces launched a series of drone strikes overnight targeting Russia’s oil infrastructure, hitting refineries, depots, and a Baltic Sea port, officials from both sides confirmed on Saturday. The attacks marked another escalation in Kyiv’s campaign to disrupt Moscow’s energy revenues, which remain a critical source of funding for Russia’s war effort.

In the Samara region, Ukrainian drones struck two oil refineries in Novokuibyshevsk and Syzran. Both facilities have been targeted multiple times since the war began. Vyacheslav Fedorishchev, the regional governor, acknowledged that industrial sites came under attack but did not specify which ones.

Ukraine’s drone forces commander, Robert Brovdi, confirmed the strikes and mocked Russia’s energy sector with a sarcastic message: “Make Russian Oil Great Again.” He also criticized Washington’s decision to renew a waiver that allows countries to purchase sanctioned Russian oil at sea, arguing that such policies undermine efforts to weaken Moscow’s war economy.

In Crimea, Sevastopol’s Moscow-backed governor reported that 22 drones were shot down, but damage occurred across the city, including a fire at a fuel tank. Brovdi said Ukrainian forces had specifically targeted an oil depot. Ukraine’s SBU security service added that its operations also struck two Russian landing ships and a warship stationed on the peninsula.

Farther north, in the Leningrad region near St. Petersburg, Governor Alexander Drozdenko said a fire broke out at the Vysotsk port, which houses a Lukoil terminal handling exports of fuel oil, diesel, naphtha, and vacuum gas oil. The blaze was extinguished, but the attack highlighted Ukraine’s ability to strike deep into Russian territory.

Brovdi claimed that recent Ukrainian strikes on Russia’s oil logistics hubs at Primorsk, Ust-Luga, Sheskharis, and Tuapse had reduced daily oil shipments by about 880,000 barrels. Reuters could not independently verify the figure, but the claim underscores Kyiv’s strategy of targeting energy infrastructure to choke off Russia’s export capacity.

In southern Russia’s Krasnodar region, authorities said fires at an oil depot in Tikhoretsk and at the Tuapse oil terminal had been extinguished. Both blazes were attributed to Ukrainian drone attacks, with the Tuapse fire reportedly burning since Thursday.

Ukraine has intensified its strikes on Russian oil facilities in recent weeks, sometimes hitting sites thousands of kilometers from its borders. The campaign reflects Kyiv’s effort to weaken Moscow’s war budget by disrupting energy exports, while also sending a message that Russia’s critical infrastructure remains vulnerable despite its defenses.

The attacks add pressure on global energy markets, as Russia remains a major supplier of oil and gas. Disruptions at ports and refineries could ripple across international trade, particularly in Europe, where reliance on Russian energy has been a contentious issue since the war began.

As the conflict grinds on, Ukraine’s strategy of targeting oil facilities highlights the intersection of military operations and economic warfare. By striking refineries, depots, and export terminals, Kyiv aims to erode Russia’s financial capacity to sustain its military campaign while demonstrating its reach across Russian territory.