By Anietie anii-bassey
Ukraine launched another wave of long-range drone attacks against Russia on Thursday, striking key oil infrastructure and setting two oil tankers ablaze in the Sea of Azov as Kyiv continued its campaign to weaken Moscow’s military logistics and energy sector.
The latest attacks came just one day after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States would grant Ukraine a license to manufacture Patriot air defense systems, a move expected to significantly strengthen the country’s ability to defend itself against Russian missile attacks.
The coordinated drone operation targeted multiple energy facilities deep inside Russian territory, highlighting Ukraine’s growing capability to strike strategic assets hundreds of kilometers beyond the front lines. Ukrainian officials described the attacks as part of a broader strategy aimed at disrupting Russia’s fuel supplies and increasing pressure on Moscow to end the war.
The strikes have added to the mounting challenges facing Russia’s energy industry. Repeated attacks on oil refineries, storage depots, pumping stations, and transportation facilities have reportedly contributed to widespread fuel shortages in several Russian regions.
Reports indicate that gasoline supplies have become increasingly limited in some areas, with fuel rationing introduced and motorists forced to wait for extended periods at filling stations.
Russian regional authorities confirmed several of Thursday’s attacks.
Vitaly Korolyov, the acting governor of Russia’s western Tver region, said a Ukrainian drone strike ignited a major fire at an oil depot in the city of Tver. Emergency crews were dispatched to contain the blaze while authorities assessed the extent of the damage.
Further south, Stavropol Governor Vladimir Vladimirov reported that Ukrainian drones struck oil storage reservoirs near the community of Vyazniki, causing large fires to break out across the facility. As flames spread, local authorities ordered the evacuation of residents living in nearby apartment buildings as a precautionary measure to protect civilians from the growing danger.
Another significant attack occurred in the Sea of Azov, where Ukrainian drones targeted two Russian oil tankers. Rostov Governor Yuri Slusar said both vessels were hit, setting them ablaze. While one of the fires was later brought under control, another tanker continued burning as emergency response teams worked to extinguish the flames. The crews aboard both vessels were safely evacuated.
The strike on the tankers marked the latest in a series of Ukrainian attacks aimed at disrupting maritime fuel deliveries supporting Russian military operations, particularly supplies destined for Russian-occupied Crimea. Kyiv has increasingly focused on damaging logistical networks that help sustain Russia’s war effort, both on land and at sea.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the operation extended far beyond the attacks already acknowledged by Russian officials. According to Zelenskyy, Ukrainian defense forces also struck a reserve fuel storage facility located approximately 800 kilometers, or about 500 miles, from the active front lines.
He added that another successful strike targeted an oil pumping station in the Russian city of Ufa, nearly 1,500 kilometers, or roughly 930 miles, from Ukraine’s border.
Zelenskyy also announced that Ukrainian forces attacked an oil-loading terminal in Russia’s Rostov region, located around 200 kilometers from the battlefield. It was not immediately clear whether this was the same facility involved in the tanker attack reported by regional authorities.
Describing the campaign as “long-range sanctions,” Zelenskyy said Ukraine would continue targeting military and economic infrastructure inside Russia as long as Moscow refused to end the conflict.
“We have long proposed that Russia end this war, and every day of delay should bring the feeling of war to where it all began — to Russia,” Zelenskyy said, emphasizing that Ukraine intends to increase pressure until Russia changes its course.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defense systems intercepted 73 Ukrainian drones between late Wednesday and early Thursday, though officials acknowledged that several attacks still caused damage to strategic facilities.
Meanwhile, Ukraine also came under another large-scale overnight Russian aerial assault. Ukraine’s Air Force reported that Russian forces launched 94 long-range attack drones along with two ballistic missiles against targets across the country.
According to the military, Ukrainian air defense units successfully intercepted or electronically jammed 72 of the drones. However, officials said 19 drones and both ballistic missiles penetrated the country’s defenses, causing damage at 13 separate locations. Authorities did not immediately release detailed information regarding casualties or the full extent of the destruction.
The renewed exchange of long-range attacks unfolded just a day after Trump met with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkey, where the U.S. president announced plans to authorize Ukraine to manufacture Patriot air defense systems under license.
The decision represents one of the most significant commitments of advanced U.S. defense technology to Ukraine since the conflict began more than four years ago.
Kyiv has repeatedly sought greater access to Patriot systems, which are regarded as among the world’s most effective air defense platforms for intercepting ballistic missiles and other aerial threats.
The meeting also marked a noticeable shift in relations between the two leaders. Their previous encounter at the White House in February 2025 had been marked by sharp disagreements and public criticism. During Wednesday’s talks, however, Trump praised Zelenskyy’s leadership and his willingness to pursue efforts aimed at ending the conflict.
Speaking after the meeting, Trump said the Ukrainian president had “done an amazing job” under difficult circumstances and described him as “very effective,” signaling a significant improvement in diplomatic ties between Washington and Kyiv as the war continues with no immediate end in sight.
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