Kyiv, Ukraine. Ukrainian drones struck several Russian oil facilities overnight, including refineries in the Samara region, an oil depot in Crimea and a Baltic Sea port exporting petroleum products, Russian regional officials and a Ukrainian army official said on Saturday.
Attacks reported in Samara region
Ukraine’s drone forces commander, Robert Brovdi, said Ukrainian forces attacked oil refineries in the cities of Novokuibyshevsk and Syzran in the Samara region, noting both sites have been repeatedly struck during the war.
Samara regional governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev said industrial targets came under attack but did not name the facilities.
Fire reported at Vysotsk port in Leningrad region
In Russia’s Leningrad region, which surrounds St Petersburg and borders Finland, Governor Alexander Drozdenko said a fire had been extinguished at Vysotsk port.
He said the port houses a terminal operated by Lukoil that handles exports of fuel oil, naphtha, diesel and vacuum gas oil.
In a Telegram statement acknowledging the port attack, Brovdi wrote sarcastically: “Make Russian Oil Great Again.”
Crimea incidents and claims of naval strikes
On the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula, the Moscow-backed governor of Sevastopol said 22 drones had been downed, with damage reported across the city, including a fire at a fuel tank.
Brovdi said Ukraine targeted an oil depot.
Ukraine’s SBU security service said it also struck two Russian landing ships and a warship based on the peninsula.
Ukraine cites impact on Russian oil logistics
Kyiv’s troops have in recent weeks increased attacks on Russian oil depots and refineries, which are major revenue sources for Moscow’s war budget, sometimes targeting sites thousands of kilometres from Ukraine’s borders.
Brovdi said recent strikes on Russia’s oil logistics at Primorsk, Ust-Luga, Sheskharis and Tuapse reduced total daily oil shipments by about 880,000 barrels, a figure Reuters said it could not immediately verify.
Brovdi also criticised the U.S. decision to renew a waiver allowing countries to buy sanctioned Russian oil at sea.
What impact could the reported attacks have on Russian fuel exports and logistics?