Ukrainian drones on Thursday struck a key Russian oil refinery located some 1,400 kilometres (870 miles) from the front line, sparking a fire and marking another attack in Kyiv’s campaign against Moscow’s energy sector.
Both Ukrainian and Russian officials confirmed the strike, underscoring the growing intensity of Ukraine’s long-range drone operations.
A source within Ukraine’s SBU security agency said its drones had targeted “the heart” of a refinery in Russia’s central Bashkortostan region, operated by state-owned energy company Gazprom. The facility is a major part of Russia’s refining network, and Ukrainian forces have sought to weaken Moscow’s revenues by repeatedly hitting similar energy assets.
Images circulating on Russian social media, though unverified, appeared to show thick smoke billowing from the refinery as flames tore through part of the site. While Russia often avoids acknowledging successful Ukrainian strikes, Radiy Khabirov, the regional governor, confirmed the refinery had indeed been hit.
“Two drones attacked the facility. There were no fatalities or people wounded. Passive and active defences were activated and the site’s security opened fire to neutralise them,” Khabirov said on social media Thursday morning. He added that efforts were underway to extinguish the fire while damage assessments were being carried out.
The summer months have seen an uptick in such strikes, significantly disrupting Russia’s refining capacity. While no official figures have been released, the impact is being felt across the country, with fuel shortages reported in multiple regions and petrol prices rising sharply.
To counter this, the Kremlin has extended its ban on petrol exports to stabilise domestic supply and curb price hikes. In addition, Gazprom Neft announced Thursday that it was postponing scheduled maintenance at one of its sites to avoid further strain on fuel availability.
Meanwhile, international pressure continues to mount on Moscow’s energy trade. US President Donald Trump has increased tariffs on Indian imports of Russian oil, threatened China with similar measures, and pressed European allies to scale back their purchases, in an effort to cut Russia off from critical energy revenues that fund its war effort.
What you should know
Ukraine’s strike on the Gazprom-operated Bashkortostan refinery highlights Kyiv’s strategy of targeting Russia’s energy sector to weaken its war funding.
The attack deepened fuel shortages and rising prices across Russia. With Trump applying global pressure on Moscow’s oil trade, Russia faces mounting challenges in sustaining both its economy and its war machine.
