Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has revealed that Ukrainian drones successfully targeted an oil refinery in Russia’s Tyumen region, which is located more than 1,200 miles away from the Ukrainian border. Zelensky commended the military’s special operations for reaching Western Siberia and described the operation as effective. He highlighted that Ukraine has developed advanced long-range drones capable of operating over distances exceeding 1,800 miles.
The governor of the Tyumen Region, Alexander Moor, confirmed that Russian air defenses thwarted the drone attack on the oil refinery. Initial reports indicated no damage, and the staff was safely evacuated from the facility.
The Tyumen refinery, known for its modern and complex infrastructure, has an annual nominal capacity of approximately 8 million metric tonnes. It processes around 6 million tonnes of crude oil each year, yielding about 0.5 million tonnes of petrol and 2.5 million tonnes of diesel, as per industry estimates cited by Reuters.
Following the attack, traces of oil were observed falling in parts of Moscow after Ukraine conducted a significant drone strike on the Moscow Oil Refinery, situated just nine miles from the Kremlin. This resulted in what was described as “oil rain,” leading to contamination in areas such as the Zheleznodorozhny and Lyuberetsky districts.
Reports indicated that nearly 200 drones targeted various locations in the region, with incidents including a drone crashing into an apartment building in the Zhukovsky district and debris from another strike causing a fire in a shopping center on the outskirts of Moscow. Local governor Andrei Vorobyov stated that seventeen individuals sustained injuries in these incidents.
Separately, a Ukrainian drone attack in Russia’s southern Rostov region led to one fatality and at least two injuries, according to local governor Yury Slyusar.
President Zelensky justified the strikes as a response to Russian attacks on Ukraine, emphasizing that these actions were necessary. The recent strike on the refinery marked the second such incident in the week and the third within a month.
The drone attacks resulted in the temporary closure of Moscow’s four airports, causing significant flight delays. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that Russian air defenses intercepted approximately 180 drones approaching Moscow, with the defense ministry claiming to have neutralized over 500 Ukrainian drones nationwide.
Kyiv has intensified its drone strikes on Russia in recent months, particularly targeting oil refineries that support Moscow’s military efforts. These actions have escalated as diplomatic discussions to end the prolonged conflict remain deadlocked.