Ukraine carried out a significant drone strike on Russian territory overnight, targeting oil refineries and key infrastructure. Russia’s defense ministry confirmed the attack and reported shooting down over 70 drones.
One of the drones hit an oil refinery in Russia’s Volgograd region, while other infrastructure, including gas facilities, was struck in the southern Astrakhan region. The damaged refinery in Volgograd is believed to belong to Russian oil giant Lukoil. This is the third refinery targeted by Ukrainian drones in just over a week, with such large-scale attacks now occurring on a weekly basis.
Debris from the drones fell over the Volgograd area, causing fires and disrupting commercial flights in the region. “The air defense forces of the Ministry of Defense repelled a massive attack by aircraft-type drones on the Volgograd region,” said Volgograd Governor Andrei Bocharov.
The Russian defense ministry outlined the extent of the attack, with 27 drones shot down over the Rostov region, 25 over Volgograd, 7 over Astrakhan, 5 over Voronezh, 4 over Belgorod, and 2 over Kursk.
Several regional airports, including those in Astrakhan, Volgograd, Kazan, Nizhnekamsk, Saratov, and Ulyanovsk, imposed flight restrictions. However, air traffic resumed as normal soon after. Airports in Vladikavkaz, Grozny, and Makhachkala continued to face longer delays.
The strikes on Russian refineries have further hampered Russia’s ability to process crude oil, especially amid ongoing emergency repairs. This attack is part of a broader strategy by Ukraine, which has been using drones to target Russia’s oil and energy infrastructure since early last year. As Ukraine struggles to make significant gains on the battlefield, these drone strikes are part of a shift towards economic and psychological warfare aimed at weakening Russia’s oil-based revenue.
Although these drone attacks have not yet stopped Russia’s military progress in eastern Ukraine, Ukraine hopes the strikes will disrupt Russia’s economy and draw more attention from its Western allies, signaling its willingness to escalate the conflict if necessary.
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