Ukrainian drone attacks cripple Russian energy infrastructure amid escalating cross-border conflict

Friday 26 December 2025 - 15:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Ukrainian drone attacks cripple Russian energy infrastructure amid escalating cross-border conflict

A wave of Ukrainian drone strikes has severely disrupted operations at key Russian energy facilities, signaling an intensification of Kyiv’s campaign to weaken Moscow’s economic and logistical capacity. Among the most significant targets was the major LUKOIL oil refinery in Volgograd, where multiple explosions and fires were reported overnight following a large-scale aerial assault.

Local sources in Volgograd described as many as 20 explosions in the Krasnoarmeysky district, home to one of Russia’s largest oil refineries. Russian defense officials claimed their air defenses intercepted dozens of drones, while regional authorities said no casualties were reported. Operations at Volgograd airport were temporarily suspended for several hours under emergency protocols.

Coordinated strikes on energy facilities

The Volgograd attack was part of a broader offensive that also struck energy installations in the Krasnodar and Orenburg regions, as well as the Novoshakhtinsk refinery in Rostov oblast. Ukrainian security officials confirmed that drones ignited large fires at storage tanks in the port of Temryuk and at the Orenburg Gas Processing Plant, one of the world’s biggest gas chemical complexes. Additionally, Ukraine’s Air Force deployed long-range cruise missiles against the Novoshakhtinsk refinery, causing further disruptions to Russian fuel supplies.

Systematic campaign intensifies

Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) described the strikes as part of a deliberate strategy to undermine Russia’s war economy. Officials said repeated hits on oil and gas facilities are designed to cut into Moscow’s export revenues and hinder military logistics. Data from recent months indicate a sharp escalation, with 14 attacks on Russian energy assets recorded in November alone nearly twice the previous monthly number.

The renewed offensive on Russian energy infrastructure follows a parallel rise in Russian drone and missile strikes on Ukraine’s power grid, leaving widespread blackouts and damage to critical facilities. Both sides are intensifying pressure as diplomatic efforts to negotiate a ceasefire remain stalled, prolonging one of Europe’s most devastating modern conflicts.