Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces (SSO) said this week that it has struck a pair of Russian gas plants in Russia’s Yamalo-Nenets region, in what represents the longest-range strike by Ukraine since the start of the war.
Fox News described it as a strike at Russia’s “Arctic gas heartland.”
HIMARS platform liked used by Ukraine against Russian forces. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
According to the Kyiv Post, the drone strikes went more than 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles) into Russia.
The strikes hit the Novy Urengoy condensate preparation plant in the city of the same name, and Exile Nova published a video of the strike.
Dmitry Artyukhov, the Russian governor of that region, confirmed on Telegram that such a drone attack had taken place.
He claimed, however, that the attack had been “repelled.”
“Today, a drone attack on one of the industrial facilities in Novy Urengoy was repelled.
As a result of the fall of UAV debris, a fire broke out.
Emergency services specialists are working at the scene,” Artyukhov said in a social media post. He added that no one was killed or injured in the attack.
The Purovsky plant was described as the other plant that was hit in the strike.
SSO and Fire Point Tout Involvement
“For the first time! Record defeat for the entire time of the war: SSO hit critical Russian plants 3,000 km away,” the SSO said on Telegram after the attack, including a map of the distance traveled by the drone.
“The SSO drones traveled more than 3,000 kilometers to the target. Until today, this was considered a completely safe rear for the aggressor,” the Special Operations Forces added.
Fire Point, the much-respected Ukrainian weapons manufacturer, appeared to tout its role in the record-setting attack.
“Guess who covered more than 3,300 km and successfully hit the target,” the company said in a social media post.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also celebrated the long-distance attack in a social media post, along with other strikes by Ukraine this week.
“Over the past 24 hours, our warriors struck eight Russian infrastructure facilities supporting the war. An oil refinery in the Yamalo-Nenets region and a seaport in Dagestan were hit,” Zelensky posted to X, along with a video of a burning facility.
“Sites in the Moscow, Voronezh, Astrakhan, and Bryansk regions were also struck. Russia continues its daily terror against Ukraine.
And every day, it receives a just response.
I thank every warrior and everyone who enables our long-range capabilities and precision.” The president had expressed similar sentiments in his morning address.
No Peace Talks Expected
The attacks on Thursday follow a barrage of missiles fired at Kyiv earlier this week.
That followed a visit to the region by American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, who visited both Moscow and Kyiv over the weekend as part of an effort to restart peace talks.
However, those talks produced no diplomatic breakthrough.
CNBC reported this week that Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump spoke on the phone and, according to the Kremlin’s readout, Trump told Putin that a swift end to the conflict could improve U.S.-Russia relations.
“The outcome of the visit by said US representatives was assessed as positive.
The work through this channel and some others will continue,” the English-language version of the Kremlin readout said.
“Donald Trump directly communicated the desirability of bringing the conflict to an end as soon as possible, as it would immediately open up prospects – impressive and far-reaching ones at that – for the full restoration of relations between the U.S. and Russia.”
CNBC cited Tass, which stated that it was the fifth call this year between Trump and Putin, and the 15th since Trump’s return to office last year.
No direct talks between Ukraine and Russia are scheduled. The Financial Times reported this week that a change could be coming, with CIA Director John Ratcliffe possibly taking on a larger role in the diplomatic efforts, with Witkoff and Kushner taking on a smaller role.
However, the White House forcefully denied the report.
“This entire story is totally fake news… None of these supposed conversations are happening,” the White House said in response to FT’s report about the potential change.
About the Author: Stephen Silver
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist, and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review, and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, national security, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
