Russia acknowledges Ukrainian drones as biggest threat to its economy in Caspian Sea
Photo: a Lukoil offshore oil platform in the Caspian Sea (Getty Images)
In the explanatory note to the document, the Russian side effectively acknowledged that drone attacks have become one of the biggest threats to Russia’s economic interests in the Caspian Sea.
In particular, it refers to facilities operated by the Russian company Lukoil, which extracts oil at the Filanovsky and Korchagin fields. According to Reuters, these platforms have repeatedly been targeted by Ukrainian drones.
Photo: the Caspian Sea and the area of Russian oil platforms, located more than 800 km from Ukraine (screenshot from NASA FIRMS)
"Adoption of the relevant federal law will make it possible to eliminate the legal vacuum and take the necessary measures to ensure the anti-terrorism protection of such facilities, without affecting issues of shipping and fishing," the document states.
Amid the war, Ukraine regularly strikes Russian energy infrastructure in an effort to weaken Russia’s economy and reduce the resources the Kremlin uses to finance its war against Ukraine.
Strikes in the Caspian Sea
On 12 December 2025, Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces, together with the Chernaya Iskra (Black Spark) movement, carried out an operation in the Caspian Sea, during which two Russian vessels carrying weapons and equipment were hit, including the cargo ship Kompozitor Rachmaninov.
On the night of 19 December 2025, Ukrainian drones attacked a Russian vessel and a Lukoil platform in the Caspian Sea.
On 10 April 2026, the Armed Forces of Ukraine struck two Russian drilling platforms in the Caspian Sea that supplied fuel to occupying forces. The drones reportedly covered more than 1,000 kilometers.
In addition, on the night of 7 May 2026, Ukraine’s Defence Forces attacked Russian targets in the Caspian region. The strike hit the Karakurt missile ship in Dagestan and drilling rigs in the Caspian Sea.
