On Thursday morning, Ukraine struck two oil refineries deep behind enemy lines.
The refineries in the Bashkortostan and Yaroslavl regions were struck along with Russian military and commercial vessels operating near the Black Sea.
Ukraine War TOS-2. Image Credit: X Screenshot.
Regional authorities in Yaroslavl reported that more than 90 drones were used in the attack, which was described as the largest drone attack the region has experienced since the war began.
Meanwhile, Russia has launched several attacks of its own against the Kherson and Kharkiv regions, targeting its energy infrastructure and killing at least 11 people.
As the war in Ukraine continues to escalate, both sides have been trading blows with each other, hoping to force the other side to capitulate.
More Drone Attacks Against Russia by Ukraine
On social media, Zelenskyy claimed that Ukraine had struck the Bashneft-Novoil refinery in Bashkortostan and the Slavneft-YANOS refinery in the Yaroslavl region.
The strikes, he claimed, were aimed at limiting Moscow’s oil revenues, which Russia “uses to finance its war. “I thank all the warriors of the Defense Forces who are systematically expanding our long-range capabilities and thereby increasing the chances for diplomacy.
Russia must choose peace,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media. He also claimed that two military patrol boats and a commercial vessel belonging to Russia’s “shadow fleet” were struck near the Black Sea.
Mikhail Evraev, the regional governor of the Yaroslavl region, claimed that Ukraine had launched more than 90 drones against the region, causing multiple fires at the Slavneft-Yanos refinery.
The attack, he claimed, was the largest enemy drone attack the region has ever experienced since the start of the war.
According to Evraev, 93 drones were intercepted by air defenses. “Falling debris hit the oil refinery’s storage tanks.
Emergency services are working to extinguish the fire,” the governor stated.
Footage in the aftermath of the attacks shows huge smoke plumes emanating from the refinery, indicating that Ukrainian drones had indeed managed to strike, or at least damage, the facility.
Regional authorities in Bashkortostan have yet to confirm the damage to the Bashneft-Novoil refinery.
Exchanging Tit-for-Tat Strikes
According to some sources, Ukraine also launched five FP-5 Flamingo cruise missiles as part of last night’s attacks.
The missiles flew at low altitude over major rivers to confuse detection radars and reached the Tyumen region before they were intercepted by Russian air defenses.
It is suspected that the missiles were targeting the Omsk refinery, Russia’s largest oil refinery.
The Omsk refinery has been targeted by Ukrainian drones multiple times over the past months. However, due to the facility’s sheer size, effectively destroying its refining capacity is a difficult undertaking and requires multiple attacks. Unfortunately, the missiles were intercepted before they could reach their target.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials reported that the Russians had carried out attacks against the Kherson, Kharkiv, and Odesa regions in the morning, killing several civilians and injuring dozens more.
According to Oleh Synehubov, the regional head of the Kharkiv region, Russian drones struck the town of Balakliya, targeting the local train station and damaging several residential areas in the process.
In Kherson, regional authorities reported that Russian munitions had targeted critical energy infrastructure, leaving the entire city without electricity.
Likewise, in Odesa, the Russians have continued their campaign to strike port infrastructure along with any commercial tankers operating in Ukraine’s Black Sea territory. According to regional authorities, a foreign-flagged cargo ship, which was carrying wheat from Odesa, was struck, killing at least one crew member.
The War in Ukraine is Still Heating Up
Both sides have been increasing their long-range campaigns against each other over the past several months. In this morning’s attacks, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that over 600 drones had been intercepted over Russian territory.
According to Sergei Sobyanin, the mayor of Moscow, attacks against Russia’s capital have increased dramatically since May.
In most drone raids against Russian territory, which he notes occur on a near-daily basis now, about two-thirds are usually directed towards the Moscow region. “In general, from all the attacks that are carried out almost daily on Russian territory, two-thirds of drones fly towards Moscow,” Sobyanin said in an interview with Russian state media. He also stated that regional authorities were coordinating with the Ministry of Defense to protect the capital from Ukrainian drones.
Likewise, Moscow has also intensified its attacks against Kyiv. According to some estimates, Russia launched over 130 Iskander ballistic missiles against Ukraine’s capital alone.
Keep in mind that this excludes the number of cruise missiles and attack drones launched against Kyiv or other regions of Ukraine. Likewise, Russia has also intensified its use of glide bombs across the entire front line.
According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, the Russians dropped 8,300 glide bombs across the entire front line.
With Ukraine running low on air defenses, not only are Russia’s ballistic missiles threatening Kyiv, but its tactical bombers are also making bombing runs much closer to the front lines, thereby extending their reach.
As the war continues to escalate, both sides are now aiming to intensify their long-range campaigns against each other to pressure the other into capitulating.
Where Russia once held the advantage in long-range capabilities, Ukraine has now closed that gap. Any escalation by Russia will be reciprocated by Ukraine, and vice versa.
The unfortunate result is that civilians are finding themselves increasingly in the crossfire as both sides attempt to destroy the will of the other.
Whether it be fuel or online retail, any industry which in any way affects the war economy is now a legitimate military target in the eyes of both sides.
About the Author: Isaac Seitz
Isaac Seitz, a Defense Columnist, graduated from Patrick Henry College’s Strategic Intelligence and National Security program. He has also studied Russian at Middlebury Language Schools and has worked as an intelligence Analyst in the private sector.
