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Ukraine targets Russian oil sites in Christmas offensive
Ukraine launched a series of long-range strikes on Christmas Day, hitting multiple energy facilities deep inside Russian territory. The attacks, confirmed by Ukraine’s General Staff, targeted the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in the Rostov region with British-made Storm Shadow missiles, marking one of the most significant cross-border blows in recent months.
Strategic target in southern Russia
The Novoshakhtinsk refinery, one of the largest petroleum suppliers in southern Russia with a storage capacity exceeding 210,000 cubic meters, reportedly sustained heavy damage. The facility is a critical source of fuel for Russian military operations, including diesel and aviation kerosene. Video footage shared online captured a series of explosions and fires consuming parts of the complex, though Russian officials have yet to confirm the extent of the losses.
Simultaneously, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) conducted coordinated drone attacks on the Temryuk seaport in Krasnodar Krai, igniting two major oil storage tanks across an area of roughly 2,000 square meters. Additional strikes were recorded at the Orenburg Gas Processing Plant, one of the largest facilities of its kind globally, temporarily halting production after damaging a key pipeline.
Escalating energy war
The Christmas offensive underscores Ukraine’s growing focus on crippling Russia’s fuel infrastructure, a campaign that has intensified through 2025 and targeted over half of the country’s major refineries. Kyiv’s strategy aims to weaken Moscow’s capacity to sustain military operations by disrupting fuel supplies essential to logistics and combat readiness.
The strikes came as Russia renewed air assaults on Ukrainian cities, killing at least four civilians and damaging energy infrastructure during holiday celebrations. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Moscow of deliberately escalating its assault during festive periods, calling the attacks evidence of Russia’s attempt to erode the nation’s morale and resilience.
Ukraine’s continued use of long-range Western-supplied weaponry and domestically developed drones highlights its expanding ability to reach strategic targets far beyond the frontlines, signaling an increasingly high-stakes energy war between the two countries.
