'Lifeblood of war': Why Ukraine's attacks on Russian refineries matter and their impact
Illustrative photo: Ukrainian combat drones "learn" to strike at distances of up to 2000 km (Getty Images)
Ukrainian attacks on oil facilities deep within Russian territory continue. Since the start of 2025, the frequency of strikes has noticeably increased, and there are grounds to believe that the capabilities of the Defense Forces will only grow.
The material by RBC-Ukraine discusses the attacks on Russian refineries and whether they undermine Russia's ability to conduct aggressive warfare.
Contents
- How often Ukraine strikes Russian refineries
- How Ukraine strikes oil refineries and the results
- Why it is important to attack refineries and oil depots in Russia
How often Ukraine strikes Russian refineries
According to BBC estimates, Ukrainian forces attacked Russian refineries and fuel bases at least 81 times in 2024. The strategy behind these strikes has evolved. At the beginning of the year, the targets were refineries supplying the domestic market, but by spring, the attacks focused on facilities directly supplying fuel to the military.
However, the frequency of strikes decreased in the fall, likely due to a request from the US to refrain from attacks in order to curb rising global oil prices. There were also reports about possible plans between Russia and Ukraine to mutually cease strikes on energy facilities, but this information was not confirmed by Western media.
By the end of 2024, Ukrainian attacks resumed. On December 19, the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in the Rostov region was attacked. This facility was the only one in the region supplying fuel to enemy forces, and just before the strike, it had finished repairs from a summer attack.
Right before the New Year, the Defense Forces hit a fuel base in Yartsevo, Smolensk region. It was also used for Russian military needs, and powerful explosions and fires were recorded at fuel tanks following the attack.
On January 4, 2025, the Ust-Luga port in the Leningrad region, one of the main export points for Russian oil, was attacked. On January 8, oil storage facilities at the Engels airbase near Saratov were hit. This attack caused a major fire that could not be extinguished for five days. The target was the Kombinat Kristall oil base, which stores fuel for Russia’s strategic aviation. Just a day after the fire was put out, more strikes were recorded.
On January 11, one of the country’s largest oil refineries, Taneko in Nizhnekamsk (Tatarstan), was attacked. On January 16, oil storage facilities in Liski (Voronezh region), located 120 km from the Ukrainian border, were targeted.
On January 18, at least ten strikes hit an oil base near the town of Uzlovaya (Tula region), and reports also indicated damage to storage facilities in the Kaluga region. After a massive raid on January 24, three storage tanks at a local refinery in the Ryazan region were burning. A few days later, the Ryazan refinery was struck again.
On the night of January 29, at least four strikes targeted the large Lukoil oil base in Kstovo (Nizhny Novgorod region). This week, the Druzhba pipeline distribution station in the Bryansk region also came under attack, and the sixth-largest Russian refinery in the Volgograd region was hit the day before. Flash fires and explosions were reported, and the results of the damage are still being assessed.
How Ukraine strikes oil refineries and the results
The attacks are the result of joint operations by the Security Service of Ukraine, the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence, and other components of the Defence Forces, such as the Special Operations Forces and UAV units. Typically, long-range drones are used to strike oil facilities, but not exclusively.
According to the General Staff's report, the operation to hit the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in December involved the Naval Forces. As the Defense Express Ukrainian news agency notes, this hints at the use of Neptune missiles, which have long been capable of striking ground targets.
Combined attacks allow for multiple scenarios. For example, drones can first saturate enemy air defense, allowing missiles to break through, or missiles can thin out air defense, allowing drones to pass through freely.
In any case, the attack on the Novoshakhtinsk refinery achieved its goal. Both primary oil processing units were shut down, and satellite images confirmed at least one burning fuel reservoir.
However, the majority of the attacks rely on long-range drones. For instance, during the mass raid on the Saratov refinery, drones hit at least two tanks, which were completely destroyed by fire.
Photo: aftermath of the strike on the Saratov oil refinery (t.me/cxemu)
An extremely effective strike was carried out on the Ryazan oil refinery, especially considering the number of drones involved. The exact number is unknown, but according to local media, the facility was attacked by 12 UAVs. The effectiveness is further demonstrated by the distance — about 470 km from the front line — and the breach of defense systems, as in addition to air defense, the plant attempted to protect itself with a special anti-drone shield made of stretched metal cables.
According to Reuters, a storage facility was on fire, loading equipment was damaged, and a hydrocracking unit was impacted. Since last Friday, the loading of petroleum products at the Ryazan refinery has been halted, leading to its complete shutdown.
Reuters also published a report on long-range drones, where they spoke with representatives of the 14th Separate UAV Aviation Complex (14th Separate UAV Regiment) of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' UAV Systems. According to the commander of the 1st Battalion, known as Kasper, his unit consists of several hundred people, and their main goal is to strike targets in Russia's rear. The former commander of the regiment, known as Fidel, stated that their drones are capable of reaching distances of up to 2000 km. Specifically, they use the An-126 Liutyi (Fierce) drones for strikes.
The effectiveness of our weapons is 40-50%, added Fidel, though he did not specify whether this figure referred to the operation of the Liutyi drone specifically or operations in general.
For more on UAVs, read the RBC-Ukraine material Bober, Liutyi, and Valkiriya: How Ukrainian UAVs eliminate enemy on front lines and in rear.
According to open data, the Liutyi drone can carry a 75 kg payload over a distance of up to 1000 km. However, there are grounds to believe that Ukraine has mastered the use of UAVs with even more powerful payloads, albeit at the cost of range.
Photo: preparation of a long-range drone for a night launch (t.me/zsuwar)
Military analyst for Forbes, David Axe, noted a photo in a Ukrainian public group featuring a FAB-250 fragmentation bomb and a 120-mm mine attached to a UAV. He suggested that the recent strike on the pumping station of the Druzhba pipeline along the Russian-Belarusian border in the Bryansk region was essentially carried out by an aircraft capable of dropping such bombs.
According to him, Ukraine has long used former civilian sports aircraft modified for remote control. However, these planes previously did not drop bombs but targeted objectives in the manner of kamikaze drones. He also suggested that given the fact that the Aeroprakt A-22 aircraft, loaded with explosives, can cover up to 1300 km one way, in the case of the Druzhba strike (only 40 km from the border), it is likely that the plane could have returned to base. This implies that such drones could be reusable.
Why it is important to attack refineries and oil depots in Russia
The importance of targeting Russian oil facilities is mainly explained from a military standpoint. For example, the strategic Taneko refinery in Tatarstan is one of the largest and most modern plants, playing a key role in supplying fuel to the Russian military.
"Knocking out refineries and oil depots directly impacts Russia's ability to wage an intensive war," noted Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Counteracting Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine.
The Ryazan refinery ranks among the top four plants with a processing capacity of nearly 19 million tons of oil per year. It also produces a wide range of products, from gasoline and diesel to heavy fuel oil, bitumen, and aviation fuel. Regarding the latter, around 840,000 tons of aviation kerosene TS-1 are produced annually here, which accounts for 8.4% of Russia's total production. The loss of such a resource is a painful blow to logistics and military operations, as emphasized by the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Unmanned Systems.
The effectiveness of drone attacks can be seen in several cases: when a refinery ceases operations, when explosions hit facilities critical for the uninterrupted supply of fuel to the Russian military, and when the enemy is forced to adjust logistics and supply from distant regions, explained military expert, former spokesperson of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Vladyslav Seleznov.
"It should be understood like this: petroleum products are the lifeblood of war. Without them, tanks, armored vehicles, and frontline logistics stop, and the army overall grinds to a halt. Last year, I had some skepticism. It seemed to me that it made more sense to target bases, warehouses, and arsenals, the things that bring us death. But I admit I was wrong. Because it is just as important to destroy the logistical elements that support Russian forces and capabilities," emphasized the expert.
Moreover, attacks on Russian refineries and oil depots yield immediate effects.
"We can recall how, after the strikes on Tuapse (Krasnodar Krai, - ed.), throughout 2024, the Russians started to face a shortage of fuel for their units in southern Ukraine. Who knows how the situation would have developed otherwise. Clearly, the loss was very sensitive. By destroying hundreds of thousands of liters of fuel and production, we deprive the enemy of at least part of its offensive potential. I hope that the strikes on the refineries in Ryazan and Nizhny Novgorod were not the last," he added.
How much such attacks can undermine Russia's ability to finance the war is a complex question. For that, strikes need to be scaled up several times, said Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the head of the President's Office, in a comment to the RBC-Ukraine YouTube channel.
"Today, if we look at the oil sector, 46% of refinery capacities are under attack... If this is destroyed, it will be significant... But the effectiveness will be clear when Russia can no longer finance military programs on such a large scale. And for that, we need to scale up the number of strikes by 5-7-10 times," he added.
It seems Ukraine has no intention of stopping, and attacks on Russian refineries will continue. At least that is implied by recent statements from President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. According to him, first of all, drone and missile attacks bring the war to Russian territory and reduce its military potential. Secondly, reducing the ability to sell oil to finance the war is what is needed to stop it by 2025.
Sources: official information from Ukraine's military departments, materials from BBC, Reuters, and Forbes, the Ukrainian specialized portal Defense Express, comments from Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the President's Office, and military expert Vladyslav Seleznov.
