Change of strategy
Ukraine is systematically setting fire to Russian refineries
Fire in oil storage facilities in Klintsy, Russia, in January this year. photo
© Uncredited/Governor of Bryansk Region Alexander Bogomaz telegram channel AV BogomaZ/AP/dpa
Russia’s economy and therefore Russia’s war machine depends on income from oil and gas. That’s why the attacked Ukraine is trying to shut down Moscow’s energy industry.
In systematic drone attacks on Russian oil facilities, the one attacked by Moscow Ukraine scored more goals. On Wednesday night, drones triggered a fire at the Ryazan refinery, southeast of Moscow. This was announced by the region’s governor, Pavel Malkow, on Telegram.
According to media reports, three drones hit the factory, which belongs to Russia’s largest oil company Rosneft. The Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in the Rostov-on-Don region was also hit. The technical systems there had been switched off, said Governor Vasily Golubjew. According to the company, the plant in Novoshakhtinsk is the largest producer of oil products in southern Russia.
Series continues
The night before, Ukrainian aircraft had already caused a fire in the Kstovo refinery near Nizhny Novgorod on the Volga. This belongs to the Lukoil group. A drone also triggered a fire in a fuel depot in the southwestern Russian region of Oryol, the state news agency Tass reported. The Kirishi refinery near St. Petersburg was also attacked on both nights. According to regional authorities, the drones were intercepted there. There was no information about damage.
Ukraine: Implement well-calculated strategy
“We are systematically implementing a well-calculated strategy to reduce the economic potential of the Russian Federation,” a source in the Ukrainian secret service SBU told the news portal Ukrainska Pravda on Wednesday. “Our job is to deprive the enemy of resources.” The military’s fuel supply should be hit as well as the inflow of oil revenues that Russia directs into war and the killing of Ukrainian citizens.
Ukraine hopes that the attacks will cause significant damage to fuel production in Russia. “Sowing in Russia will be very difficult, which means that food prices will rise dramatically from the middle of summer,” wrote former Deputy Interior Minister Anton Herashchenko on the X network (formerly Twitter). Fuel shortages could also drive up prices for other goods. Using the example of the Kstovo refinery, Herashchenko calculated that up to ten percent of Russian gasoline production could be lost in the event of a shutdown.
Russia reports shooting down of Ukrainian drones
According to the Russian Defense Ministry in Moscow, air defense intercepted 58 Ukrainian drones on Wednesday night and in the morning hours. 29 aircraft were shot down over the Voronezh region alone, and another 11 over the Belgorod region. This military information could not be independently verified. The Russian army also reported further Ukrainian drone attacks during the day.
However, the Moscow military does not seem to have found a real remedy against the more advanced drones from Ukraine. “Our soldiers are doing everything necessary,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday, according to Tass. The anti-aircraft system is working. Whether industrial targets need to be better protected is a question for the Ministry of Defense. Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin said in a TV interview that the attacks were intended to disrupt the presidential election scheduled for Sunday.
Russia began its war of aggression against Ukraine more than two years ago. The Russian military also regularly shells civilian objects in the hinterland. At the same time, Russian regions are also increasingly complaining about shelling by the Ukrainian enemy. However, the number of victims and the amount of damage cannot be compared with the extent of the destruction caused by Russia.
Ministry of Defense Russia (Russ.) Novoshakhtinsk Refinery