A Ukrainian long-range drone hit the Moscow region’s largest refinery Tuesday, while Russian oil producer Tatneft imposed nationwide fuel purchase limits amid mounting pressure on Russia’s energy system.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A Ukrainian drone struck the Moscow region’s largest oil refinery Tuesday, sparking a fire and damaging part of the facility as Kyiv’s expanding campaign against Russian energy infrastructure continued to pressure fuel supplies inside Russia.
The strike hit a Gazprom Neft refinery that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said was targeted from 500 kilometers, or 311 miles, away. The attack underscored Ukraine’s growing ability to reach major Russian energy facilities far from the front lines.
“This is a just response to Russian strikes – and to the dragging out of a war that must be ended,” Zelenskyy said on X.
Local emergency services said the fire at the refinery was extinguished and did not affect operations. Earlier, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said a facility at the site had been damaged, though he did not provide further details.
Gazprom Neft did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The refinery has been targeted multiple times during the war. According to the latest available data, the plant processed 11.6 million tons of oil in 2024 and produced 2.9 million tons of gasoline and 3.2 million tons of diesel.
The attack came as Ukraine has intensified strikes on Russian refineries, seeking to disrupt a major source of Moscow’s war revenue. Since the start of 2026, Ukrainian attacks on refineries have doubled, according to official data, social media reports and Reuters calculations cited in the information provided.
Those strikes have contributed to full or partial shutdowns at oil-processing sites and reduced output of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.
Fuel supply problems have been reported in about a dozen Russian regions in recent weeks. Central authorities have described the disruptions as localized bottlenecks, but visible shortages have become politically sensitive in some areas.
Recent long lines for gasoline in Russian-controlled Crimea and in the southern Krasnodar region have shown the domestic impact of Ukraine’s campaign against energy infrastructure.
On Tuesday, Russian oil producer Tatneft announced restrictions on fuel purchases at its hundreds of stations across the country, becoming the first retailer to impose nationwide caps.
The combination of refinery strikes and retail limits points to widening strain on Russia’s fuel system as Ukraine targets facilities tied to Moscow’s military funding and domestic energy supply.
Kyiv has framed the refinery campaign as retaliation for Russian attacks and as a way to weaken Russia’s ability to sustain the war. Moscow, meanwhile, has continued to report damage and fires at energy sites while often describing supply problems as temporary or regional.
The strike on the Moscow-area refinery marks another escalation in Ukraine’s long-range drone campaign and adds pressure on Russian authorities as fuel disruptions spread beyond isolated areas.
Original article
Comments