Additional Coverage:
Ukrainian Drones Strike Russian Oil Refinery Amid Escalating Energy Infrastructure Attacks
KYIV, Ukraine – Ukrainian forces have reportedly struck a major oil refinery in Russia’s Volgograd region for the second time in three months, according to Ukraine’s general staff. The attack, which occurred Wednesday, was not officially confirmed by Russian officials, though the local governor acknowledged a drone-induced fire at an unspecified industrial facility in the region.
The targeted refinery is a critical component of Russia’s fuel and lubricant production, processing over 15 million tons of crude annually, which accounts for approximately 5.6% of the country’s total refining capacity, Ukrainian officials stated.
This incident marks another escalation in the ongoing conflict, as both Russia and Ukraine continue to launch near-daily assaults on each other’s energy infrastructure. These attacks persist despite U.S.-led diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the nearly four-year-old war.
Ukraine’s long-range drone strikes on Russian refineries aim to cripple Moscow’s oil export revenue, a vital source of funding for its full-scale invasion. Conversely, Russia’s strategy involves targeting Ukraine’s power grid, an effort Kyiv officials describe as an attempt to “weaponize winter” by depriving civilians of heat, light, and running water.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy revealed that foreign nations are assisting Kyiv in maintaining its power grid amidst Russia’s relentless assaults. “Practically every day, our power engineers, repair brigades, and the State Emergency Service of Ukraine are carrying out restorations on-site after attacks: hits keep occurring across various points, especially in our communities, and especially near the Russian border and close to the front,” Zelenskyy said late Wednesday.
In addition to the Volgograd refinery, Ukrainian forces also reported striking three fuel lubricant facilities in the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula and a storage and assembly base for Russia’s Shahed drones in an occupied area of Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.
Meanwhile, in Russia’s Kostroma region, northeast of Moscow, Governor Sergei Sitnikov reported a Ukrainian aerial attack on unidentified “energy infrastructure facilities.” He confirmed no casualties or power disruptions. Unconfirmed media reports suggest the target may have been a hydroelectric power plant, one of Russia’s largest.
The Russian Defense Ministry stated Thursday that its air defenses intercepted 75 drones overnight across multiple Russian regions and annexed Crimea.
On the Ukrainian side, the city of Kamianske in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region was attacked by Russian drones overnight, resulting in eight injuries, according to Vladyslav Haivanenko, head of the regional military administration. The attack caused several fires and partially destroyed the roof of a four-story building.
The Russian military also continued its assault on Ukraine’s rail infrastructure, leading to delays and route changes in the eastern regions of Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk and the southern Zaporizhzhia region, as confirmed by Ukraine’s state-owned railway company Ukrzaliznytsia. Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia attacked the country with 135 drones of various types overnight on Thursday.