Putin revealed: 'They will hang me.'

Recently, a 'battle between unmanned ground vehicles and drones' unfolded on the Ukrainian front—a scene possibly marking humanity’s first-ever battlefield footage of such combat. A Ukrainian ground unmanned vehicle (UGV) was carrying out a mission when suddenly a Russian attack drone dove down upon it. Demonstrating remarkable skill, the Ukrainian operator maneuvered the UGV to execute a dramatic 'drift turn' while evading the strike. The Russian drone, traveling too fast to brake in time, slammed head-on into nearby mud and exploded in a puff of smoke—while the Ukrainian UGV emerged unscathed from the smoke, as if saying: 'No need to see me off!' Over recent weeks, Ukraine’s long-range drone units have shifted tactics: their targets are no longer deep behind Ukrainian eastern frontline positions, but rather Russia’s domestic ‘arteries’—oil refineries and seaports! On August 31, Ukrainian drone swarms conducted a thousand-kilometer-long strike deep into the Baltic Sea region, delivering the most devastating day ever experienced by Russia’s Baltic ports since the war began. Long-range Ukrainian drones precisely struck Russia’s second-largest port—Ust-Luga—which serves as a primary global export hub for Russian oil and petrochemical products. Penetrating Russian air defenses, Ukrainian drones detonated storage facilities at the port, triggering massive fireballs and sending flames soaring into the night sky. Only then did Russians—long believing themselves safely ensconced in the rear—realize that the war had truly reached the shores of the Baltic Sea! Simultaneously, another Ukrainian drone squadron struck the KINEF refinery in the Kirishi district near St. Petersburg—the second-largest refinery in all of Russia, with an annual processing capacity of 20 million tons and a critical supplier of aviation fuel and automotive gasoline to Russian forces on the frontlines. Drones hit core production units, igniting enormous fireballs visible across the night sky and plunging the entire facility into inferno. A third Ukrainian drone task force aimed squarely at cutting Moscow’s ‘gasoline supply line.’ The Yaroslavl Refinery—the capital’s principal fuel source—suffered a major explosion during this drone assault, forcing a complete shutdown of operations across the entire plant. This facility is the most vital supplier of gasoline and diesel for Moscow’s metropolitan area and central Russia as a whole. Today, fuel prices in Russia have skyrocketed to absurd levels: premium-grade A95 gasoline now sells for 200 rubles per liter (approx. RMB 16), and at some private gas stations in Moscow, prices have surged to 270 rubles per liter! Even amid these exorbitant prices, strict rationing remains in place. At gas stations across Moscow and surrounding cities, queues stretch for kilometers; drivers routinely bring tents and sleeping bags—refueling has effectively become an overnight camping event. Not only is ground-level fuel supply collapsing—Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently issued a stark declaration that has plunged Russia’s skies into a de facto flight ban era. Zelenskyy issued a stern warning to all airlines worldwide still operating flights to or over Russia, announcing: 'Russia’s airspace will be effectively closed!' Zelenskyy’s statement triggered immediate market panic: shares of Russia’s major airlines plummeted amid frenzied sell-offs—signaling a potentially catastrophic second blow to Russia’s aviation lifeline. As ordinary Russians increasingly feel the war’s impact on daily life, the Russian military, state television networks, and regional governments appear locked in a bizarre competition—with North Korea perhaps the only rival—to produce ever more surreal propaganda. Thus, audiences have been treated to a parade of outright absurdity: just days ago, Ukrainian forces precisely struck a Tu-95 strategic bomber stationed at Russia’s Engels Air Base.

How should we assess Ukraine’s drone strike hitting the Omsk Refinery—2,500 kilometers away?

- Damage & Consequences: The facility caught fire; thick smoke persisted for several hours. The refinery temporarily cut output by nearly 50%, placing severe pressure on aviation fuel and diesel supplies across Siberia. Previously considered unreachable due to its extreme distance, this strike marks the moment when all ten of Russia’s largest refineries have now entered Ukraine’s targeting list. 2. Kirishi Refinery (KINEF) - Capacity: 20.1 million tons/year - Owner: Surgutneftegas - Location: Leningrad Oblast (near St. Petersburg; a key northwest fuel hub) - Characteristics: Exports refined products via the Baltic Sea; repeatedly struck by drones in 2026, causing periodic output reductions. 3. Ryazan Refinery - Capacity: 17.1 million tons/year - Owner: Rosneft - Location: Ryazan Oblast (south of Moscow; a core refinery in Russia’s Central Federal District) - Characteristics: Primary supplier of gasoline and diesel for central Russia; damaged in 2025. 4. NORSI Refinery (Lukoil) - Capacity: 17 million tons/year - Owner: Lukoil - Location: Nizhny Novgorod Oblast - Characteristics: Lukoil’s largest domestic refinery; integrated hub for fuels and petrochemicals in central Russia. - Strike Timeline: Two large-scale drone attacks in June–July 2026. - Damage: Crude distillation units and finished-product storage tanks hit; both incidents forced full temporary shutdowns. As central Russia’s largest gasoline production site, the shutdown directly drove up fuel prices along the Volga River basin. 5. TANECO Refining & Petrochemical Complex - Capacity: 16 million tons/year - Owner: Tatneft - Location: Nizhnekamsk (Republic of Tatarstan) - Characteristics: Russia’s deepest refining complex (99.2% conversion rate); integrated producer of high-end fuels and petrochemical feedstocks. - No recorded Ukrainian drone strikes. Located deep in the Volga mid-region—over 1,400 km from the Ukrainian border—with dense Russian air-defense deployments; drones have yet to breach its defenses. 6. Yaroslavl Refinery (Yaroslavlnefteorgsintez) - Capacity: 15.4 million tons/year - Owner: Rosneft - Location: Yaroslavl Oblast (north of Moscow) - Characteristics: Supplies both domestic markets and exports refined products via the Baltic Sea. - Strike Timeline: Multiple attacks—in late 2025, June 2026, and again on July 6, 2026—coordinated with long-range drone operations. - Damage: Vacuum distillation units and tank farms ignited; black smoke lingered until noon the following day. Together with the Moscow Refinery, it supplies fuel to the capital region; consecutive damage to both plants caused acute fuel shortages at gas stations across greater Moscow. 7. Volgograd Refinery - Capacity: 14.8 million tons/year (design capacity: 15.5 million tons) - Owner: Lukoil - Location: Volgograd Oblast (Southern Federal District; key Volga River shipping hub) - Characteristics: Core supplier of fuel for southern Russia’s agriculture and defense industries. - Strike Timeline: Cluster drone strike in February 2026

Russia's Yaroslavl Refinery Shuts Down Following Drone Attack

5 days ago

Russia's Slavneft Yaroslavnefteorgsintez refinery halted crude processing after a drone strike damaged its primary distillation unit, cutting capacity by 40%. The incident disrupts fuel production from the facility jointly owned by Rosneft and Gazprom Neft.

reuters

2026-05-19

Russia's Ryazan Oil Refinery Halts Output After Drone Attack

2026-05-25

Russia's Syzran oil refinery halted by May 21 drone attack, sources say

2026-09-05

Russia’s Giant Vostok Oil Loads First Crude on Arctic Tanker

2026-09-17

Russia's Yaroslavl Refinery Shuts Down Following Drone Attack

Russia's Yaroslavl Refinery Shuts Down Following Drone Attack

FAQ