Ukraine Hits Russian Oil Refinery In Drone Attacks

Ukrainian drones have struck a major oil refinery in Russia’s Volgograd region, the second such attack in less than three months.

In a statement on Thursday, Ukraine’s general staff said the refinery was targeted the previous day. The facility, located in southern Russia, is one of the country’s largest, processing more than 15 million tons of crude oil annually, which is about 5.6 per cent of Russia’s total refining capacity.

Although Russian authorities have not officially confirmed the strike, Volgograd Governor Andrei Bocharov acknowledged that drones caused a fire at an “industrial facility” in the region.

AP News, citing Local emergency services reports that the blaze was contained.

The attack is part of Ukraine’s campaign to degrade Russia’s ability to fund its war through oil exports. In recent months, Ukraine has intensified long-range drone operations against refineries and storage sites deep inside Russian territory.

Both sides have continued to target each other’s energy networks as the nearly four-year conflict shows no sign of ending. U.S.-led diplomatic efforts have so far failed to bring about meaningful progress toward a ceasefire.

“Practically every day, our power engineers, repair brigades, and emergency teams are restoring power after attacks,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said late Wednesday.

“The hits keep coming across different regions, particularly near the border and along the front,” he added.

Ukraine’s general staff also reported successful strikes on three fuel and lubricant facilities in Russian-occupied Crimea, as well as a drone storage and assembly site for Russia’s Shahed drones in eastern Donetsk.

In another operation, drones reportedly hit energy infrastructure in Russia’s Kostroma region, northeast of the capital Moscow. Governor Sergei Sitnikov confirmed the attack but said there were no casualties or power outages. Unconfirmed reports suggested a hydroelectric plant may have been targeted.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said its air defences intercepted 75 drones overnight across several regions and annexed Crimea.

Nevertheless, several targets were reportedly hit, underscoring the growing reach and precision of Ukraine’s domestically developed long-range drones.

Russia also launched retaliatory drone strikes on the Ukrainian city of Kamianske in the Dnipropetrovsk region, injuring eight people, according to local officials. Fires broke out in multiple buildings, and part of a four-story residential block was damaged.

The Russian military further attacked Ukraine’s railway network, disrupting services in Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions. Ukraine’s state railway company, Ukrzaliznytsia, said some routes were delayed or rerouted due to the damage.

Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia deployed 135 drones of various models in overnight attacks, continuing its push to weaken Ukraine’s power grid as winter approaches.