Ukraine continued its long-range drone and missile campaign overnight into Thursday, striking yet more oil facilities throughout Russia and setting ablaze two oil tankers in the Sea of Azov.
It is the continuation of a weeks-long campaign that risks crippling Russia’s energy industry and has already forced the country to halt diesel exports.
T-14 Armata. Image Credit: Russian State Media.
T-14 Armata Tank. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
The attacks also come just one day after Ukrainian drones reached deep into Russian territory again, and after U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed he would provide a license for Ukraine to begin the manufacturing of Patriot air defense missiles domestically.
Russian authorities confirmed attacks stretching from the country’s southwest to the Ural Mountains overnight into Thursday, with local officials confirming fires at oil facilities in Ufa, Stavropol, and Tver.
Authorities in the Rostov region also said that two oil tankers had caught fire in the Sea of Azov following the assault.
The Russian Ministry of Defense also confirmed that its air defenses had intercepted dozens of Ukrainian drones and that numerous strikes still successfully reached their targets.
Oil Tankers Burn in the Sea of Azov
Rostov regional Governor Yuri Slusar confirmed that Ukrainian drones set two oil tankers on fire in the Sea of Azov overnight, and confirmed that one of the vessels was still burning hours later after crews had been safely evacuated.
The attacks on the tankers followed a night of strikes and days of similar attacks targeting tankers carrying fuel to Russian-occupied Crimea.
Ukrainian forces appear to be targeting new sea routes designed to keep oil flowing into Crimea even after much of its bridges and road transportation infrastructure were damaged by similar Ukrainian strikes.
Ukraine’s military said that it struck nine oil tankers in total during the operation, with the General Staff stating that the vessels were being used to transport fuel and military supplies that were destined to support operations on the front lines.
In recent days, Ukraine’s drone forces confirmed in a Telegram statement that one of the vessels targeted in the Sea of Azov had a deadweight of around 7,000 tons.
“Striking the enemy’s naval logistics complicates the supply of fuel and ammunition necessary to support the activities of Russian troops, primarily in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea,” the statement reads.
Footage released by the Ukrainian military this week also showed explosions and fires aboard several vessels in the Sea of Azov.
More Than Tankers
The attacks overnight into Thursday extended well beyond the Sea of Azov and proved, if there was still any doubt, that Ukraine’s promised 40-day, long-range strike campaign was still in effect.
Ukraine’s General Staff said that its long-range drones had struck a number of critical energy and military facilities throughout Russia, including the TANECO and TAIF-NK oil refineries located in Nizhnekamsk, facilities in Tatarstan, a Rosneft-owned oil refinery, and a pumping station in the Bashkortostan region.
A military airfield in the Voronezh region was also reportedly struck.
The TANECO complex was particularly damaging for Russia. It is one of the newest and most technologically advanced refineries in the country and a large part of Russia’s ability to even finance the war and keep its wartime economy afloat.
And located alongside it is the TAIF-NK refinery – another major producer of gasoline and diesel fuel, both of which are now in short supply throughout the country.
The Saratov refinery appears to have suffered the most damage so far. According to industry sources who spoke to Reuters, the refinery halted crude oil processing after the attack damaged CDU-6, its only primary crude distillation unit with a capacity of around 20,000 metric tons per day.
The refinery also processes around 5.8 million metric tons of crude oil annually, accounting for over 2% of Russia’s total refining capacity. It was the third time this year that Ukrainian drone strikes had forced the facility to suspend its operations.
Ukraine’s Strikes Are Starting to Bite
Russia is finally feeling the effects of the war – which was President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s stated intention when he announced the 40-day strike campaign.
On July 8, during a televised meeting with government officials chaired by President Vladimir Putin, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak announced a national ban on diesel exports through July 31.
He said that the restriction was designed to allow supplies to be redirected to the domestic market while damaged refineries are repaired.
“Today, a ban on diesel fuel exports was introduced, and this will make it possible to increase supplies to the domestic market,” Novak said. “It is clear that the current situation at filling stations is causing concern among the public.”
Between planned fuel imports this summer and the banning of diesel exports, it’s clear Russia is starting to feel the effects of this war – and there are still weeks left to go.
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About the Author: Jack Buckby
Jack Buckby is a British researcher and analyst specializing in defense and national security, based in New York. His work focuses on military capability, procurement, and strategic competition, producing and editing analysis for policy and defense audiences. He brings extensive editorial experience, with a career output spanning over 1,000 articles at 19FortyFive and National Security Journal, and has previously authored books and papers on extremism and deradicalization.
