Another Russian Oil Facility Struck As Zelensky Touts Drone Capabilities
A major fire reportedly broke out on Wednesday at a Russian oil pumping station in the Perm region in the Ural Mountains in a suspected drone attack just a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy touted the increasing range and accuracy of Ukrainian drones.
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) targeted a production and dispatch station owned by Transneft more than 1,500 kilometers from Ukraine’s border, with unconfirmed reports indicating that almost all oil storage tanks at the facility were set ablaze.
Perm Governor Dmitry Makhonin confirmed to local media that a drone hit an unspecified industrial facility.
Recently, Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is entering a "new phase" by expanding the range and precision of its domestically produced drones to limit Russia's war.
Just one day prior, drones struck the Rosneft refinery in Tuapse on the Black Sea for the third time in two weeks. The series of attacks has caused severe environmental damage, including black rain and oil spills in the sea.
Reports have also emerged of attempted drone strikes on industrial facilities in the Orenburg Oblast near Orsk, also approximately 1,500 km from the border. Zelenskyy has thanked the SBU for the precision of these strikes, saying they are "entirely justified responses to Russian terror". He noted that Ukraine is now producing a 50% surplus in some weapon types and is seeking to export its drone technology to partners.
According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Ukraine is now conducting a sophisticated long-range strike campaign, leveraging Russia's massive geography which makes it nearly impossible for the Kremlin to provide comprehensive air defense coverage for every critical facility across thousands of kilometers.
Recent strikes have shifted focus toward critical export hubs, including the Baltic Sea ports of Ust-Luga and Primorsk, which are vital for Russian oil revenue. Ukraine has increased its strike range by roughly 170% since the start of the full-scale invasion, successfully hitting targets over 1,500 km away. Reuters estimates that these strikes have forced Russia to slash oil production by an estimated 300,000 to 400,000 barrels per day, effectively reducing its oil revenues and ability to fund the war.
By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com