Ukraine drone strikes on Russia’s oil refineries mark new phase of war
- Ukraine has staged repeated strikes this year on Russian soil, particularly against oil refineries
- Drone campaign is becoming a key plank of Ukraine’s defence – both in symbolism and strategic aims
Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion has entered a new phase, pitting home-grown drone technology against a 2,000km (1,200 mile) swathe of largely Soviet-era oil facilities.
At least nine major refineries have been successfully attacked this year, currently taking offline 11 per cent of the country’s total capacity by some estimates.
As the conflict at the front lines has shifted in Moscow’s favour, the drone campaign is becoming a key plank of Ukraine’s defence – both in its symbolism and its strategic aims.
It gives Kyiv the ability to reach deep into Russian territory and strike an industry that’s crucial to the Kremlin’s war effort, providing both supplies of fuel to its armed forces and a flow of petrodollars into its coffers.
“Russia is a gas station with an army, and we intend on destroying that gas station,” Francisco Serra-Martins, co-founder and chief executive officer of drone manufacturer Terminal Autonomy, said in an interview. “We are going to focus on where it hits the hardest, and that’s financial resources.”
Even as the drone campaign becomes a success story for Ukraine’s military – badly needed after a series of Russian gains on the battlefield – it is a potential wild card for world markets and Kyiv’s Western allies.