Blood of war: How Russia uses oil depots and impact of Ukraine’s strikes on front
Photo: Russian emergency services extinguish fires at oil refineries for several days after Ukraine's attacks (mchs.gov.ru)
For several months, Ukraine has been systematically striking oil depots on Russian territory. These strikes target both facilities relatively close to the front lines and those deep in the rear.
RBC-Ukraine discusses how the Defense Forces are striking oil depots, the objectives behind these strikes, and whether this could slow down the Russian advance in Donbas.
Contents:
- How Ukraine strikes oil depots and where they reach
- How Russia uses oil depots in the war against Ukraine
- Why it's important to destroy enemy oil depots
How Ukraine strikes oil depots and where they reach
At the beginning of 2024, Ukrainian strikes mainly targeted oil refineries in Russia. However, by spring, the focus shifted to oil depots supplying fuel for military equipment, and this trend continued throughout the summer.
In June, drones attacked the Azov oil depot in the Rostov region, which burned for three days. This was followed by simultaneous strikes on rear objects near the settlement of Enem in the Republic of Adygea (about 340 km from the front line) and near the village of Platonovka in the Tambov region (about 400 km from Ukraine's borders).
In July, oil depots were hit in Stanitsa Leningradskaya (Krasnodar region), the town of Kalach-na-Donu (Volgograd region), Tsimlyansk (Rostov region), and the Polevskoy and Ponyrovsky districts (Kursk region).
In early August, drones struck the Gubkinskaya oil depot in the Belgorod region and the Atlas plant near Kamensk-Shakhtinsky in the Rostov region. On the night of the 18, there was a particularly successful attack on the Kavkaz plant in Proletarsk, Rostov region, where a massive fire raged for 11 days, tanks exploded, and the smoke trail stretched for 80 km.
Preliminary estimates suggest that drones hit over 70 tanks filled with gasoline and diesel fuel. The fire may have destroyed fuel worth around $200 million.
The latest strike occurred on the night of August 28. Specifically, the Atlas oil depot was attacked again. RBC-Ukraine’s sources in the security services reported that this was the work of military intelligence and special operations forces. According to them, the facility is directly involved in supplying Russian forces.
Additionally, today drones targeted the Vyatka oil depot in the city of Kotelnich in the Kirov region, nearly 1200 km from the Ukrainian border. According to eyewitnesses, several explosions were heard, but local authorities reported only one drone and stated that "there was no fire, and the situation is under control".
How Russia uses oil depots in the war against Ukraine
Precision strikes on Russian oil infrastructure are part of a "tit-for-tat" long-term energy battle that complements the battlefield struggle. The ability to hit, even for short periods, oil refineries and depots is intended to disrupt the logistics of the Russian army, which continues to occupy significant areas in southern and eastern Ukraine, writes Foreign Policy.
In terms of the war, bases closer to Ukraine are of primary importance, notes Oleksandr Musiienko, head of the Center for Military and Legal Studies.
"These are all part of the 'blood of the war' for the Russians, including in the Donetsk direction. Therefore, all strikes on the objects in the Krasnodar region, Rostov region, and beyond are meant to create problems in southern Russia. This includes the strike on the Kavkaz ferry across the Kerch Strait, which could transport tankers," he explains.
Oil refineries and depots deep in the rear have more economic significance for Russia, as they provide revenue from oil product sales, including for the war effort against Ukraine. Thus, the strikes are not just about depriving the Russian army of fuel but also about cutting off revenue and exacerbating the fuel crisis.
According to Musiienko, this forces Russia to use redundant supply chains.
"But they don't have many options left. Our strikes haven’t completely restricted Russia's use of oil products, but they have significantly undermined it. This means we are on the right track. There is not only a military component but also an economic one, and often a powerful psychological impact," he emphasizes.
Occasionally, there are reports of explosions at oil depots in occupied territories. Such incidents have occurred repeatedly, for example, in Luhansk, Donetsk, and Makiivka. "These facilities are needed for military purposes, for operational refueling of equipment. Additionally, they are used for other needs, such as smuggling our coal and other minerals that need to be exported. As soon as Ukraine receives information that a particular depot is being filled, it is targeted," the expert says.
Overall, Musiienko draws parallels with the energy system. Russia targets Ukrainian power generation and distribution networks. Similarly, Ukraine first hits refineries and then oil depots.
"An oil depot is part of the distribution chain. When the distribution chain disappears, serious problems arise," he adds.
Why it's important to destroy enemy oil depots
When it comes to fuel storage sites, it's not about civilians. Oil depots don't serve civilian purposes, and the more the enemy loses, the better, explains military expert and former spokesperson for the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Vladyslav Seleznov.
"Of course, from a technical standpoint, it's easier to destroy enemy depots closer to our borders. We can more effectively use drones. The further away they are, the more challenging it becomes; we need more expensive drones and missiles, and we have fewer than we need," he noted.
According to him, systematic strikes on deeper targets allow the Ukrainian Armed Forces to be more flexible. If the enemy concentrates air defense systems to securely protect closer targets, Ukraine can strike where Russia believes such strong protection isn't necessary.
"The enemy will be forced to react and move part of its air defenses further back, hoping we'll continue targeting the deep rear. But what's stopping us from striking where the air defense density has decreased? It's often said that this is a game that both sides can play. They are destroying our energy infrastructure, and we are gradually working to make the enemy feel a fuel shortage and to make their logistics as costly as possible," emphasized Seleznov.
The expert highlights that the geography of strikes is expanding. "Today, in the Kirov region, a strike hit an empty barrel, but still, what happened once will definitely happen again," he said.
According to BBC estimates, Ukraine has attacked oil facilities in Russia at least 64 times this year. In at least 49 cases, authorities or Telegram channels reported fires following such strikes.
Roughly a quarter of these, 17 incidents, occurred in the Krasnodar region. The Rostov region ranks second, with five incidents. However, these figures are as of last week, meaning we can now talk about at least two more new attacks.
Why are the strikes concentrated on southern regions of Russia? To slow the Russian advance in the Pokrovsk and Toretsk directions, explains Oleksandr Musiienko.
"The fact that the enemy has not yet reached the administrative borders of the Donetsk region is, in part, the result of our work on the oil depots, as part of the broader chain of actions related to defense in the Donbas," he noted.
According to him, the strikes are very sensitive, but it's important to understand that the nature of the fighting in Donetsk is not solely dependent on oil products. However, the use of large numbers of infantry on cars, motorcycles, and golf carts rather than heavy equipment indicates that fuel consumption has decreased.
Seleznov believes that another goal of the strikes on Russia's southern regions could be an attempt to constrain the 90,000-strong Dnipro group within the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. The troops are ready, but there's no movement.
"Something is preventing them from attacking our positions and fortifications. I don't rule out that this is related to a fuel shortage because we are hitting the fuel and energy infrastructure of southern Russia. The enemy is experiencing a shortage, particularly for tanks, armored vehicles, and transport. It takes a lot of fuel to supply such a large amount of equipment. But do they have it, considering the constant strikes on oil depots? That's a matter of argument. The Russians are likely already experiencing an acute shortage," he said.
The issue of resources remains crucial when it comes to conducting combat operations. Clearly, Ukrainian strikes are aimed at at least partially reducing the enemy's potential. If successful, the enemy will be forced to either take an operational pause to regroup or delay implementing their plans altogether.
Sources: materials from the BBC, Foreign Policy, reports from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, information from Russian Telegram channels, and expert commentary from Vladyslav Seleznov and Oleksandr Musiienko.
