Ukraine extends deep-strike campaign to hit Russian Caspian oil platforms

Monday 15 December 2025 - 16:50

By: Dakir Madiha

Ukraine extends deep-strike campaign to hit Russian Caspian oil platforms

Ukraine has intensified its long-range drone campaign by striking a Russian oil platform in the Caspian Sea for the third time in a week, signalling an escalating effort to cripple Moscow’s energy infrastructure. The attack targeted the Korchagin production platform, one of several operated by the Russian oil company Lukoil. Ukrainian security sources confirmed that the strike forced the shutdown of operations at the site.

The raid follows two earlier drone attacks on both the Korchagin and Filanovsky platforms, disrupting vital energy supplies and damaging equipment. These ice-resistant facilities are among Russia’s most important in the Caspian region, forming part of a network that helps sustain the country’s oil exports.

The renewed assaults appear to be a direct response to Russia’s massive bombardment of Ukraine’s energy grid earlier this month, which left more than a million people without power. While Kyiv has offered an “energy truce” in exchange for an end to such attacks, Moscow dismissed the proposal, claiming it remained focused on what it called “peace efforts.”

Ukraine’s campaign highlights its expanded military reach, as domestically produced drones now strike targets over 700 kilometers away. Officials in Kyiv have announced plans to manufacture over 30,000 attack drones in 2025, including models capable of reaching 1,600 kilometers. Ukrainian intelligence services say these continuing operations aim to strike the heart of Russia’s wartime economy, demonstrating that even the Caspian energy fields are no longer out of range.