Ukraine has been showing increased targeting capabilities within Russia, with several important oil facilities being directly attacked by drones this week, resulting in significant damage.
This comes as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Wednesday a new phase in the use of Ukrainian weapons to hinder Russia’s war potential.
The massive Tuapse complex on Russia’s Black Sea coast has been hit multiple times in less than a month, causing massive fires that took days to extinguish in some cases.
Targets in the Urals, nearly 1,000 miles from the Ukraine border, have also been struck.
Transneft’s oil facility in Perm, deep into Russian territory, was targeted this week. The Ukraine Security Service (SBU) claimed responsibility, stating that the facility is a crucial part of the main oil transportation system and that almost all oil storage tanks are on fire.
Following the Perm attack, Russia reported shooting down nearly 100 Ukrainian drones in various regions. Russia’s presidential envoy to the region warned, “The Urals are now within reach, be vigilant.”
Putin’s office condemned these attacks on oil facilities as terrorist acts. Regarding the previous attacks on Black Sea oil sites, CNN reported:
For the third time in 12 days, the Russian town of Tuapse woke up to apocalyptic scenes.
Toxic fumes and flames from the latest Ukrainian drone strike on the Rosneft-owned Tuapse oil refinery reached alarming levels. The fires took days to extinguish, leading to what experts are calling the worst environmental disaster in the region in years.
A video showing the fireball at the Perm oil site was shared on Twitter, showcasing the impact of the Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil infrastructure.
Currently, global attention is focused on the Iran conflict and the blockade of the Hormuz Strait, causing efforts for a political resolution in Ukraine to fade into the background. While major refinery attacks would have dominated headlines in the past, they have been overshadowed by the constant news flow related to Iran. President Putin has proposed a ‘Victory Day’ ceasefire to Trump, a suggestion that Washington has reportedly supported.