Ukraine's drone war strikes deep inside Russia, hitting oil refineries & exposing air defense weaknesses. Game-changer?
Deep Strikes: Ukraine Takes Drone War Inside Russia
This ain’t your grandpa’s war. We’re talking about drones, flying deep into enemy territory, hitting targets that used to be untouchable. Forget front lines – Ukraine’s taking the fight to Russia’s backyard, and they’re using drones to do it. We’ve seen conflicts before, fought on land, sea, and air. But this drone warfare, especially deep inside Russia, changes the game. It’s about crippling the enemy’s ability to wage war, not just on the battlefield, but in their factories, their oil fields, the places that fuel their aggression. These aren’t just pinprick attacks; we’re talking about strikes designed to bleed Russia dry, targeting the refineries and infrastructure that keep Putin’s war machine running. Is it working? That’s the billion-dollar question. Let’s look at what the analysts are saying.
Key Insights on Ukraine’s Drone Campaign
Strategic Oil Refinery Strikes: Ukraine isn’t just lobbing explosives over the border. They’re surgically targeting Russia’s oil refining capacity. One video claims a single strike wiped out 5% of Russia’s total capacity. That’s not just a dent; that’s a major blow to their fuel supply and export revenue. Think about it – no fuel, no tanks moving, no planes flying. It’s about hitting them where it hurts most: their wallet and their war logistics.
Economic Warfare by Air: These drone attacks are economic sanctions delivered by air. They’re designed to complement Western sanctions, further choking Russia’s energy exports and revenue streams. The aim is clear: starve the beast. By hitting refineries, pumping stations, and export hubs, Ukraine is directly attacking Russia’s ability to fund the war.
Deep Penetration and Air Defense Weakness: The fact that Ukrainian drones are hitting targets deep inside Russia exposes a critical weakness in Russian air defenses. These aren’t just border skirmishes; we’re talking about strikes hundreds of kilometers inside Russian territory. If drones can penetrate that deep, it raises serious questions about Russia’s ability to protect critical infrastructure. And if air defenses are focused inwards, what’s protecting the front lines?
Crippling Military Logistics: Damage to oil refineries and pumping stations directly impacts Russia’s military operations. Fuel shortages mean tanks, armored vehicles, and aircraft can’t operate effectively. Ukraine is essentially attacking the fuel lines to the Russian military machine, making it harder for them to sustain combat operations. It’s a war of attrition, but fought with silicon and explosives, not just bullets and boots.
Evolution of Drone Production and Tactics:Ukraine has drastically increased its drone production, reportedly going from a handful per month to hundreds. They’re also combining drone strikes with other weapons systems like HIMARS and Storm Shadow missiles, showing a sophisticated, coordinated approach to deep strikes. This isn’t just about quantity; it’s about evolving tactics and integrating different weapon systems to maximize impact.
Psychological and Strategic Impact: Beyond the physical damage, these deep strikes have a psychological impact. They show Russia that Ukraine can reach into their territory, that there are no safe havens. Strategically, it forces Russia to divert resources to air defense and infrastructure repair, resources that could be used on the front lines. It’s about disrupting their plans, sowing chaos, and keeping them on the defensive, even on their own soil.
Future Frontlines: Drones and the Deep War
This drone warfare deep inside Russia isn’t a sideshow; it’s becoming a central front in this conflict. What we’re seeing is a shift in how wars are fought. Drones are extending the battlefield, making distance less of a barrier. Expect to see more of this. Both sides are learning, adapting. Russia will try to bolster its air defenses, move assets further back. Ukraine will keep pushing, probing for weaknesses, refining their tactics. This is an escalating game of cat and mouse, played out in the skies, with real-world consequences on the ground. The ability to strike deep, to disrupt the enemy’s rear areas, is a game-changer. And drones are making it happen.
Watch the Deep Dive
Want to see the breakdowns for yourself? Scroll down and check out the video highlights. Get the details straight from the analysts and commentators. This drone war is evolving fast, and understanding it means staying informed. Click below, watch the clips, and decide for yourself what this means for the future of warfare.
Scroll down to explore the videos
UKRAINE Just Did Something IMPOSSIBLE INSIDE RussiaThe Military Show287,666 views | 7,679 | February 6 2025 20:00:08 (421 comments)[ Read more … ]
Ukraine just delivered a devastating blow to Russia’s war machine. On January 29, Ukrainian drones wiped out 5% of Russia’s total oil refining capacity in a single strike—crippling a key fuel source for Putin’s invasion. How did Ukraine pull off such a deep attack inside Russia? And what does this mean for the future of the war? Let’s break it all down.
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Putin’s ‘weaknesses emerge’ as deep strikes on Russia damage military and economyTimes Radio177,902 views | 3,851 | January 27 2025 20:00:03 (388 comments)[ Read more … ]Ukrainian deep strikes on Russian military and energy infrastructure have created weaknesses in Russian military and economy that will push Putin to end the war, RUSI’s Matthew Savill tells Frontline for #timesradio
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Scott Ritter: Russia’s Missiles Wipe Out Ukraine’s Top UAV Factory – Kyiv in Crisis!WarZone Echo5,120 views | 321 | February 17 2025 12:16:18 (17 comments)[ Read more … ]
As the war in Ukraine intensifies, Russia has launched one of its most massive airstrike campaigns, devastating key Ukrainian positions and supply routes. Meanwhile, Ukraine retaliates with a bold UAV counteroffensive deep into Russian territory. Military expert Scott Ritter breaks down the latest battlefield tactics, the strategic shift in Russia’s military structure, and the economic war that is reshaping global power. Is Ukraine running out of time? What does this mean for NATO and the West? Stay tuned as we uncover the shocking reality of this high-stakes conflict. #ScottRitter #RussiaUkraineWar #MilitaryAnalysis #Geopolitics #WarNews #UkraineCrisis #BreakingNews #RussiaStrikes #UAVWarfare #SanctionsFail #WarZoneEcho #MilitaryAnalysis #GlobalConflicts #StrategicInsights #WarZoneEchoChannel
Oil refineries hit, Russian tanks, armored vehicles, and aircraft on front are left without fuelKanal1371,520 views | 2,546 | February 8 2025 00:00:06 (84 comments)[ Read more … ]
#Kanal13 #likekanal13 #subscribekanal13 #warinukraine https://www.youtube.com/user/kanal13az?sub_confirmation=1 – SUBSCRIBE TO US! Ukraine has significantly ramped up its drone strike campaign against Russia’s oil infrastructure, strategically targeting refineries, pumping stations, and export facilities. This ongoing effort serves as Ukraine’s form of economic sanctions, complementing Western-imposed restrictions on Russian energy exports.
Euromaidan Press recalls that the first attack hit Russia’s fourth-largest oil refinery located in Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast. Capable of processing up to 17 million tons of fuel per year, this refinery supplies fuel to the Russian military. Ukrainian drones ignited a massive fire shortly after, marking the second attack on this key facility.
Soon after, Ukrainian forces struck the Lukoil refinery in Volgograd, another major fuel producer processing 14 million tons of oil annually.
The pattern is clear, Ukraine is systematically crippling Russia’s energy sector, making it increasingly difficult to sustain military operations, striking the largest refineries one by one.
Another successful attack hit the Novozybkov oil pumping station in Bryansk. Ukrainian forces used a drone carrying a Soviet FAB-250 bomb, and HIMARS strikes to set the facility ablaze. This station is part of the Druzhba pipeline, one of Russia’s main export routes to Europe. Ukrainian forces have repeatedly targeted it, further highlighting their intent to permanently disrupt Russian energy exports, according to Euromaidan Press media outlet.
Next, in a major blow to Russia’s refining capabilities, Ukrainian strikes have now forced the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in Rostov Oblast to shut down entirely. After sustaining repeated drone attacks, the plant, which had a processing capacity of 7.5 million tons per year, ceased operations completely due to equipment damage. This further deepens Russia’s fuel shortages, both for domestic use and military operations.
One of the most audacious attacks was the disruption of oil flows through Russia’s Ust-Luga port. This critical export hub handles 20% of Russia’s seaborne crude exports, making its temporary shutdown a significant economic setback for Moscow. The strike on a pumping station in the port caused a halt in operations, demonstrating Ukraine’s ability to strike deep into Russian territory and disrupt its global oil trade.
Ukraine’s drone strikes serve a dual purpose, damaging the economy while simultaneously undermining the war effort, as Russia heavily relies on oil revenues to fund its military, and these targeted attacks are forcing it to divert resources toward repairing damaged infrastructure rather than supporting its war machine.
The destruction of refineries and pumping stations also makes it harder to supply fuel for tanks, armored vehicles, and aircraft, directly affecting battlefield operations.
Euromaidan Press says that Ukraine’s growing success in striking strategic Russian targets is due to its continued destruction of Russian air defenses. A recent example is the Ukrainian drone drop that destroyed a Russian TOR air defense system, highlighting the ability to neutralize key defensive assets through different creative means. The serial degradation of Russian air defenses has made it significantly easier for Ukrainian drones to penetrate deep into Russian territory and strike valuable targets.
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Tags: #Ukriane, #Russia, #Putin, #Putler, #Russian invasion of Ukraine, #Zelenski, #Kiev, #Kyiv, #Kadirov army, #Kadirov, #Kherson, #Bucha, #Kharkiv, #Ukrainian pilots, #vagners, #Russian tanks, #NATO, #drones, #Moscow, #Kreml, #war victims #Ukraina, News, The Washington Post, waPo Video, Washington Post Video, Washington Post YouTube, a:politics, aid, biden, putin, s:Politics, support, t:Other, Ukraine, war, fact check, news coverage, Donald Trump, news, wp video, forbes, nytimes, newspaper, media, journalism, Ilham Aliyev, Baku, Azerbaijan, Israel, Gaza, Palestine, Tel-Aviv, Garabag, Karabakh, football, ronaldo, messi, brian tyler cohen
Ukraine combines drone strikes deep into Russia with US HARM-88, HIMARS and British Storm ShadowKanal1357,625 views | 1,785 | February 6 2025 06:00:06 (75 comments)[ Read more … ]
#Kanal13 #likekanal13 #subscribekanal13 #warinukraine https://www.youtube.com/user/kanal13az?sub_confirmation=1 – SUBSCRIBE TO US! The British publication The Times published an article about Ukraine’s new strategy in the war – the massive use of drones for deep strikes on Russian territory. The publication notes that the Ukrainian military is carrying out coordinated attacks on Russian air bases, ammunition depots, oil refineries and military facilities, causing significant losses to the enemy army.
According to The Times, in recent days alone, a gas complex in Astrakhan and an oil refinery in Volgograd have been hit. In total, Ukrainian drones have already attacked 20 of Russia’s 30 largest oil refineries.
In 2022, Ukraine could produce up to five long-range drones per month. Now – 500 per month. This was reported to the publication by Brigadier General Yuriy Shchigol, who coordinates these operations as part of the Main Intelligence Directorate. According to him, over the past two years, Ukraine has significantly increased the rate of production of attack UAVs
Shchigol also emphasized that constant strikes are forcing Russia to move its air bases further and further into the country: “They don’t have a single functioning airfield left within a radius of 300 km from where they could attack Ukraine. These aren’t just runways – the entire infrastructure has been destroyed: fuel depots, repair bases, aviation maintenance facilities,” he added.
According to The Times, the Ukrainian military is using a comprehensive approach – combining drone strikes with air and missile attacks, in particular with the help of American HARM-88, British Storm Shadow and HIMARS.
President Volodymyr Zelensky noted in his statements the effectiveness of such attacks and noted the military of the 14th UAV Regiment, which plays a key role in the new war tactics.
The 14th UAV Regiment is led by “Charlie”, an officer who has completed the Special Forces Qualification Course, a gruelling training programme created by the US army and known as the Q Course. He has also completed 121 high-altitude, low-opening parachute jumps. “Our first successful operation was against an airbase in Russia in Morozovsk city, situated in the east of Rostov,” says Charlie, referring to an attack on April 17-18, 2023. “We destroyed on this airbase 17 planes, type Su-34, Su-35 and Su-24M. It was a surprise, I guess, for the Russians — it was the first operation of this type.” The damage caused by the strike has not been independently verified.
So far, 20 of Russia’s 30 largest facilities have been hit, including, this week, the vast Astrakhan gas facility and an oil refinery in Volgograd. Ukraine is intensifying its attacks on energy infrastructure which, despite international sanctions, continues to fund President Putin’s war chest. http://youtube.com/kanal13az/join – click here and support Kanal13 monthly for distributing more videos and independent journalism
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Tags: #Ukriane, #Russia, #Putin, #Putler, #Russian invasion of Ukraine, #Zelenski, #Kiev, #Kyiv, #Kadirov army, #Kadirov, #Kherson, #Bucha, #Kharkiv, #Ukrainian pilots, #vagners, #Russian tanks, #NATO, #drones, #Moscow, #Kreml, #war victims #Ukraina, News, The Washington Post, waPo Video, Washington Post Video, Washington Post YouTube, a:politics, aid, biden, putin, s:Politics, support, t:Other, Ukraine, war, fact check, news coverage, Donald Trump, news, wp video, forbes, nytimes, newspaper, media, journalism, Ilham Aliyev, Baku, Azerbaijan, Israel, Gaza, Palestine, Tel-Aviv, Garabag, Karabakh, football, ronaldo, messi, brian tyler cohen
Ukraine’s Drones Hit Russian Oil! 🚁🔥Finance News484 views | 20 | February 1 2025 20:40:04 (0 comments)[ Read more … ]
🚀 Ukraine’s drones are hitting deep into Russia! 💥 Massive drone strikes are targeting oil refineries, disrupting fuel supplies, and exposing Russia’s air defense weaknesses!
🛸 Key Highlights: ✅ Ukraine’s drones strike major Russian oil refineries ✅ Russia’s air defenses struggle to stop the attacks ✅ Fuel shortages could cripple Russia’s war efforts ✅ Drones are changing modern warfare forever!
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