Ukraine intensifies deep-strike drone campaign against Russian oil infrastructure

Ukraine has intensified its deep-strike drone campaign against Russian oil infrastructure, launching long-range Fire Point drones to strike refineries in Moscow, Yaroslavl, and Krasnodar. These operations have caused acute fuel shortages, prompting Russian-annexed Crimea to declare an emergency and forcing Vladimir Putin to acknowledge supply issues. Operating with minimal U.S. aid, secretive Ukrainian units view these strikes as vital "sanctions" to weaken the Kremlin's war machine and force a fair peace.

Ukrainian deep-strike drone campaign

• ▪Ukraine has intensified its deep-strike drone campaign, repeatedly hitting oil refineries and depots deep inside Russia, including Moscow and Siberia.
• ▪Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on June 10, 2026, that Ukraine's long-range drones struck more than 356,000 Russian targets over the preceding year.
• ▪Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy approved a 40-day offensive to influence Russia to end the war after consulting the head of the Ukrainian security service.

Drone launch operational tactics

• ▪Ukrainian drone operators use a motorcycle engine connected by cable to a launching pad to generate the high takeoff speed required for long-range drones to fly.
• ▪Ukrainian drone launch teams complete their missions in about two hours and depart immediately to avoid being targeted by Russian forces.
• ▪The First Separate Center of Unmanned Systems, a secretive Ukrainian military unit, launches long-range drones manufactured by Fire Point that can travel between 800 and 1,200 miles.

Russian oil infrastructure targeting

• ▪Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged fuel supply shortages in Russian regions and stated that a ban on diesel exports was under consideration.
• ▪A Ukrainian drone strike on June 18, 2026, hit the Gazprom Neft oil refinery on the southeastern outskirts of Moscow, causing thick black smoke and "oil rain."
• ▪Ukrainian drone strikes overnight on June 28, 2026, hit the Slavyansk oil refinery in Krasnodar, located 300 kilometers from the frontline, and another refinery in Yaroslavl, 700 kilometers from the border.
• ▪Authorities in Russian-annexed Crimea declared an "emergency situation" on June 26, 2026, due to fuel shortages and power cuts caused by Ukrainian attacks on logistics chains and oil facilities.

Declining U.S. military aid

• ▪U.S.-led negotiations to end Russia's war on Ukraine have stalled because of the Iran war.
• ▪Direct military aid from the United States to Ukraine fell by 99% under the Trump administration, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy's Ukraine Support Tracker.

Soldier mission motivations

• ▪Ukrainian drone operators view their long-range strikes as "Ukrainian sanctions" intended to force the Kremlin into a peace agreement that is fair to Ukraine.
• ▪Commander Charlie of the First Separate Center of Unmanned Systems stated his team felt a sense of justice after striking a Moscow oil refinery because Russian residents experienced what Ukrainian cities face daily.

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