Ukraine hits two oil refineries deep in Russia and vessels in Black Sea
Strikes target energy facilities hundreds of kilometers inside Russia to curb war revenues, while retaliatory attacks leave at least 11 dead across Ukraine.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Ukraine strikes Bashneft-Novoil and Slavneft-Yanos oil refineries deep within Russia
- President Volodymyr Zelensky notes strike locations are 1,300km and 700km from the border
- Russian regional governor reports 93 drones shot down over Yaroslavl with four injuries
- Intensified nationwide strikes result in widespread blackouts and civilian casualties
Ukrainian forces launched major drone strikes targeting two oil refineries deep inside Russian territory, alongside patrol boats and shadow fleet vessels operating in the Black Sea. The operation forms part of an ongoing strategy to restrict the oil revenues that Moscow utilizes to finance its military campaign.
President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the Bashneft-Novoil refinery in Russia's Bashkortostan republic was situated approximately 1,300 kilometers or 808 miles away from the Ukrainian border, while the Slavneft-Yanos facility was located nearly 700 kilometers or 435 miles away. The Ukrainian leader also confirmed that two military patrol boats and shadow fleet tankers used by Russia to illegally export sanctioned oil were hit in the Black Sea.
Yaroslavl regional governor Mikhail Evraev reported that the Slavneft-Yanos refinery caught fire following what he described as the largest enemy drone attack, resulting in four injuries. He added that 93 drones were intercepted and shot down over the Yaroslavl region overnight. BBC Verify confirmed multiple social media videos and images displaying massive smoke plumes rising from the site, with at least four distinct fires visible at the facility.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
Meanwhile, Ukraine suffered severe casualties from overnight Russian airstrikes. The state emergencies service DSNS reported that three people were killed in the north-eastern town of Balakliya in the Kharkiv region after private residential houses were targeted. Kharkiv regional head Oleh Synehubov later confirmed that two additional people died and eight others were injured when drones struck the train station in Lozova, with a further five fatalities reported later in the central Dnipropetrovsk region.
The ability of Ukrainian forces to strike high-value energy and military infrastructure over distances exceeding a thousand kilometers inside Russia demonstrates an escalating reliance on long-range unmanned aerial systems. This tactical shift aims to degrade Russia's economic engine and financial capacity to sustain the war, particularly as frontline positions remain largely static.
In the southern city of Kherson, a critical infrastructure strike caused a total blackout across the entire municipality. Internet monitoring group NetBlocks observed deep connectivity disruptions in the region, noting that internet connectivity plummeted to approximately 31% at its lowest point overnight. In response, the Russian military claimed its air defenses intercepted or shot down 605 Ukrainian drones across multiple regions while targeting Ukrainian fuel, energy, and transport facilities.
"The attacks are aimed at limiting oil revenues Moscow uses to finance its war."
Volodymyr Zelensky
Source: BBC World
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