Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed that special forces units struck the Saratov oil refinery overnight on 16 September. Explosions and fire were reportedly recorded at the site, a facility that plays a critical role in fueling Russia’s armed forces. At the same time, Ukrainian Telegram channels reported a possible hit on another Russian refinery in Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast.

Strike on Saratov refinery

According to the General Staff, Ukrainian special operations forces, in coordination with other defense units, carried out the attack in Saratov Oblast. Explosions and a blaze were recorded near the refinery after the overnight strike. Officials said the full results of the attack are still being clarified.

The Saratov refinery produces more than 20 types of oil products, including gasoline, diesel, fuel oil, and various grades of bitumen. It also processes vacuum gas oil and technical sulfur. In 2023, the refinery’s output reached 4.8 million tons. Ukrainian authorities stressed that the facility has been directly involved in meeting the supply needs of Russia’s armed forces.

Euromaidan Press could not independently confirm the fire and damage to the refinery in Saratov. 

Reported hit on Kstovo refinery

Ukrainian Telegram channels reported that another refinery in Russia may also have been hit. Telegram channel Supernova+ shared photos of a distant smoke and wrote that in Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, a refinery flare was burning more intensely due to an emergency pressure discharge following a strike.

The information has not been officially confirmed.

Part of wider Ukrainian campaign

This strike follows a pattern of Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil infrastructure.

• On 30 August, defense forces hit the Krasnodar and Syzran refineries.
• On 5 September, the General Staff confirmed hits on the Ryazan refinery.
• On 13 September, Ukrainian drones attacked the Bashneft-Novoil refinery in Ufa.
• On 14 September, a Ukrainian drone strike ignited a major fire at the Kirishi refinery near St Petersburg, forcing a key unit offline

A major fire broke out at the Kirishinefteorgsintez (KINEF) refinery near St Petersburg overnight on 14 September after Ukrainian drones struck the facility. Telegram channels shared videos showing a drone strike and flames at the site.

Ukrainian drones strike fuel-producing giant near St Petersburg

The refinery, located in the city of Kirishi in Leningrad Oblast, roughly 100 km southeast of St Petersburg and 800 km north of Ukraine’s border, is among Russia’s top 10 oil-processing facilities.

According to Ukrainian Telegram channels Exilenova+ and Supernova+, drones struck the plant, triggering a fire. Satellite data from NASA’s FIRMS wildfire monitoring platform confirmed a high-temperature anomaly over the facility starting at 3:56 on 14 September, Militarnyi noted.

Second strike on the same facility in six months

This is not the first time the KINEF refinery has come under attack. Ukrainian drones targeted the same facility on 8 March 2025, damaging a fuel storage tank. At the time, governor Drozdenko also blamed the damage from a direct drone hit on “debris”: “During the fall of debris, the external structure of one of the reservoirs was damaged,” he wrote back then.

Meanwhile, Astra also relayed a statement from the Russian Ministry of Defense claiming Russian air defense forces had intercepted 80 Ukrainian drones overnight across several oblasts. According to the ministry, this included 2 drones over Leningrad Oblast, where Kirishi is located, along with other interceptions over Bryansk, occupied Crimea, Smolensk, Kaluga, Novgorod, Oryol, Ryazan, and Rostov oblasts, and the Azov Sea area.

Ukraine has struck the same Russian fuel facility for the second time in a week. The long-range drone attack targeted the Vtorovo pumping station, a critical node in Russia’s internal fuel infrastructure. Video of the surfaced on Ukrainian Telegram channels on 12 September. It is unclear if the strike took place on the same day or earlier.

Kyiv hits Vtorovo hub again

The video, shared by Telegram channel Supernova+, shows Ukrainian long-range drone Liutyi struck the Vtorovo pumping station, located in Russia’s Vladimir Oblast, for the second time since 7 September.

Ukrainian OSINT project Cyberboroshno analyzed the footage of the impact and concluded that the strike directly affected the overpass infrastructure carrying key operational systems. 

According to Cyberboroshno’s analysis, the drone hit a technical overpass structure at the station, damaging pipeline segments, signal cables, and power lines.

The station is owned by the company Verkhnevolzhsknefteprodukt, a subsidiary of Russia’s state-owned pipeline monopoly Transneft. It serves as an intermediate pumping point on the route from Vtorovo to Tuma and then to Ryazan, supporting diesel and aviation fuel transportation.

Vtorovo plays a critical role in maintaining pressure and flow within Russia’s main fuel pipeline network. It contains reserve tanks for operational stock and helps stabilize supply toward the Ryazan oil refinery. The station also oversees the eastern segment of the system, connecting the Upper Volga region with Ryazan.

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Russian gas stations are shutting down across 10 regions—but Moscow blames vacation season, not Ukrainian drones

First strike on 7 September

The first drone strike occurred on 7 September, when UAVs from Ukraine’s 14th regiment of unmanned systems hit the Vtorovo facility. Satellite imagery reviewed by Dnipro OSINT showed visible damage to two fuel reserve tanks. These tanks were part of the system used to maintain pipeline pressure and flow stability.

Following the 7 September attack, the commander of Ukraine’s Armed Forces Unmanned Systems, Robert Brovdi (“Madyar”), hinted at its impact.

“Fuel in Moscow is a bit glitchy, they say,” he noted, referencing damage to the Vtorovo pumping station and its link to the Moscow Ring Petroleum Products Pipeline.

Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports that Russian state media has acknowledged growing fuel shortages across the country. Meanwhile, Russian officials are downplaying Ukraine’s deep strike campaign role in creating the crisis.

Widespread shortages across Russian regions

ISW says Russian Independent Fuel Union told state newspaper Izvestiya on 10 September 2025 that over 10 federal subjects experience fuel shortages. Ryazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Saratov, and Rostov oblasts face supply disruptions. Far Eastern regions and occupied Crimea also struggle with fuel availability.

State Duma Anti-Monopoly Committee Expert Council member Dmitry Tortev told Izvestiya that local fuel shortages are becoming widespread. Many gas stations haven’t received refinery deliveries for several weeks. Some stations have shut down completely.

Officials blame seasonal demands

ISW noted:

“Russian officials downplayed the impact of Ukraine’s strike campaign, attributing the fuel shortages to peak vacation season and agricultural demands in August and September 2025.”

ISW continues assessing that Ukraine’s deep strike campaign impacts Russia’s domestic gasoline market. The strikes exacerbate shortages and cause price spikes that will likely push inflation upward. ISW notes that Russian state media openly discussing gasoline shortages suggests the issue is penetrating mainstream Russian society.

Ukraine launched a long-range drone strike on 12 September targeting key oil infrastructure deep inside Russian territory. Russian news Telegram channel Astra reports that several fires broke out at the Primorsk oil port in Leningrad Oblast after drones penetrated nearly 1000 km from Ukraine.

Primorsk port hit by Ukrainian drones in overnight attack

According to Astra, the port of Primorsk—Russia’s largest oil terminal on the Baltic Sea—was hit in the early hours of 12 September. Leningrad Oblast governor Aleksandr Drozdenko confirmed that a fire broke out on a vessel at the port. Firefighting systems were activated and the “open fire” was allegedly extinguished. Officials claimed there was no threat of sinking or oil spill.

The governor also stated that another fire erupted at a pumping station in Primorsk and was later extinguished. No injuries were reported.

Drones across Leningrad Oblast

Astra cited local residents in the town of Tosno — a town south of St Petersburg — reporting explosions overnight. The Leningrad Oblast governor said Russian air defenses engaged drones over several districts, including Volosovsky, Tosnensky, Gatchinsky, Lomonosovsky, and Pushkinsky in St Petersburg.

The governor stated that debris and fragments from downed drones fell in multiple populated areas, including Tosno, Vsevolozhsk, and the villages of Pokrovskoe and Uzmino, as well as outside residential areas in Lomonosovsky district. Authorities said no fires or injuries occurred at these sites, but the impact zones were cordoned off.

Astra also reported that explosions continued to be heard across Leningrad Oblast and St Petersburg throughout the night in one of the largest drone attacks on the region since the war’s start.

Flights disrupted at Pulkovo Airport

As a result of the drone attack, operations at Pulkovo Airport in St Petersburg were heavily impacted. According to airport operator statements cited by Russian state agency RIA Novosti, 28 flights were delayed, 13 canceled, and 11 aircraft were diverted to alternate airfields.

Russia claims massive drone interception

The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that air defenses downed a total of 221 Ukrainian drones overnight across the country. Of these, 28 were allegedly intercepted over Leningrad Oblast alone. The ministry also listed drones shot down over several other oblasts, including Bryansk, Smolensk, Kaluga, Novgorod, Moscow region, Belgorod, Rostov, Tver, Pskov, Tula, and Kursk.

On 10 September, special forces of Defense Intelligence of Ukraine (HUR) attacked a Russian Black Sea Fleet ship near Novorossiysk. As a result, the MPSV07-class vessel reportedly sustained serious damage, lost its electronic reconnaissance equipment, and now requires costly repairs.

According to HUR, the strike targeted a multifunctional MPSV07-class ship commissioned in 2015. Each ship of this type is valued at around $60 million, and the Russian Navy possesses only four of them. The vessel is equipped with diving systems, remotely operated vehicles, side-scan sonars, and electronic reconnaissance systems. With a power capacity of about 4 MW, the ship plays a crucial role in underwater and reconnaissance operations.

HUR confirmed that the Ukrainian drone struck the ship’s command bridge, containing navigation and communication systems. According to the report, the attack destroyed the vessel’s electronic reconnaissance equipment, disabling the ship, which would requiring long and costly repairs.

This attack fits into the broader context of Ukraine’s operations against Russia’s naval forces. Just weeks earlier, on 22 August 2025, DIU reported another successful operation in Novorossiysk, during which five elite Russian divers were eliminated.

On 8 September, Ukrainian forces launched a powerful combined missile and drone strike, targeting Russian military command structures in Donetsk — a regional capital in eastern Ukraine, occupied by Russia since 2014. OSINT analysts and local sources confirmed the destruction of key command centers belonging to the Russian 41st Army and 20th Motor Rifle Division.

Ukrainian missiles strike Russian command HQs in occupied Donetsk

Ukrainian defense news site Militarnyi reported that Ukraine’s Defense Forces struck multiple command posts of the Russian occupying army in Donetsk Oblast in a coordinated night assault. OSINT analysts CyberBoroshno and Dnipro Osint confirmed that Ukrainian cruise missiles hit headquarters at both army and divisional level.

One of the identified targets was the command post of Russia’s 41st Army, which had been hidden inside the Institute of Integrated Automation in Donetsk. The analysts did not specify the exact location of the 20th Motor Rifle Division’s headquarters, but confirmed it was also struck during the same attack.

In addition to those two major targets, Ukrainian drones reportedly attacked a third Russian-controlled military site — the Topaz plant. This facility, previously used by Russian forces to house command elements, suffered heavy structural damage.

According to analysts, an army-level headquarters was located inside the Topaz site as well, though its exact affiliation remains unknown.

Local footage shows scale of destruction at Russian-occupied Topaz plant

Footage and photos from local Telegram channels captured large columns of smoke rising over Donetsk and visible Russian air defense activity during the attack. The images, showing shattered buildings at the Topaz factory, confirmed that the site sustained serious damage.

CyberBoroshno reported that Russia has used the Topaz plant to station its equipment and military infrastructure since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022. Due to this, the factory has repeatedly been a target for Ukrainian precision strikes.

Domestic cruise missiles suspected in attack, Peklo and Bars possibly used

Militarnyi notes that although it remains unclear which exact weapons were used in the strikes, footage released by local residents supports the theory that Ukraine used domestically produced Peklo and Bars cruise missiles. Visual evidence from the scene, including the configuration of the jet engine and wing mount, appears to match the characteristics of the Peklo missile.

Ukrainian missile and missile‑drone production

Constrained with scant supplies of foreign-made missiles, Ukraine is rapidly scaling its domestic long‑range strike capabilities, especially with the Flamingo cruise missile—now in mass production by end of 2025 or early 2026, boasting a claimed 3,000 km range, 1,150 kg warhead, and 6‑ton takeoff weight. Ukraine also produces Bars “cruise missile drones,” and additional systems like Peklo and Palianytsia. The latter two were widely praised by the officials earlier, but have basically been missing from reports on deep strikes for months.

Ukraine’s “working horses” for its deep strikes inside Russia and occupied territories are long-range drones such as Liutyi.

In February, Ukraine’s state weapons development grant program reportedly funded 19 domestic missile manufacturers, backing projects to develop a broad range of systems, including cruise, ballistic, and anti-aircraft missiles tailored to the country’s defense needs.

In the early hours of 7 September 2025, Ukrainian forces launched a coordinated series of deep strikes on Russian territory, targeting two of the most strategically important fuel infrastructure sites — the Ilsky oil refinery in Krasnodar Krai and the 8-N pipeline pumping station near the village of Naitopovichi in Bryansk Oblast.

Strategic Druzhba pipeline hub hit for second time

According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a precision drone strike targeted the 8-N linear production dispatching station (LPDS) near Naitopovichi village located in Unecha District, Bryansk Oblast. The site is linked to Russia’s Druzhba — a pipeline network used to export oil.

The Naitopovichi-based station is part of the “Steel Horse” mainline pipeline complex, with a pumping capacity of 10.5 million tons per year.

The Ukrainian military described the facility as having “strategic importance for the transportation of oil products for the Russian occupation army.” They reported multiple direct hits, followed by fires in the area of the pumping station and tank park.

Commander of the Armed Forces’ Drone Systems, Robert Brovdi (“Madyar”), also confirmed the strike, noting that the 8-N facility plays a key role in transferring petroleum products from Belarus’s Mozyr and Novopolotsk refineries into Russia.

Brovdi shared aerial footage showing a fire at the facility, and emphasized that the strike was part of a broader campaign against Russian oil infrastructure and hinted at more operations to come: “To be continued…”

This marks the second confirmed Ukrainian strike on the 8-N station. On 29 August, Ukrainian forces had already attacked the same facility. As Russian news Telegram channel Astra reported at the time, the previous strike had resulted in the total destruction of the station’s pump house — a critical component without which oil cannot be transported.

Previous strikes on Russian oil pumping stations temporarily disrupted Russian pipeline oil exports, but the damaged facilities later resumed operations.

Ilsky oil refinery set ablaze — again

On the same night, Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces struck the Ilsky oil refinery in Seversky District, Krasnodar Krai, the General Staff confirmed. Ilsky is located around 30 kilometers from Krasnodar.

Astra cited the Krasnodar regional operational headquarters, reporting that “drone debris fell on the territory of the Ilsky refinery” — the standard Russian official wording for all successful Ukrainian attacks. The strike caused one of the refinery’s technological installations to catch fire, according to the report. Officials claimed that the fire, which allegedly covered only several square meters, was quickly extinguished and that there were no casualties. Emergency response and special services were deployed, and refinery personnel were evacuated to shelters.

Footage of the fire at the refinery grounds, published online by Ukrainian Telegram channel Exilenova+, showed visible flames in the industrial area definitely more than “several square meters” in size.

This was not the first time Ukrainian drones targeted the Ilsky refinery. Earlier strikes took place in February and July this year, as well as in 2023 and 2024. Previous operations have triggered significant fires, including a major one in February. According to Militarnyi and Suspilne, the July attack was reportedly conducted by Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR).

Ukrainian forces also strike Russian troop sites in Kursk Oblast

In addition to the fuel infrastructure strikes, Ukrainian forces confirmed hits on Russian military personnel sites and logistics warehouses in Kursk Oblast. The General Staff reported “successful hits” on locations housing Russian troops and storing matériel.

The Ukrainian military said these attacks are part of a larger strategy “to reduce the offensive potential of the Russian occupiers and complicate the delivery of fuel and ammunition to the enemy’s military units.”

Russia claims 69 drones shot down

In response to the overnight strikes, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that its air defenses had intercepted and destroyed 69 Ukrainian drones over various regions, including 21 over Krasnodar Krai, 13 over Voronezh Oblast, and others in Astrakhan, Belgorod, Volgograd, and Kursk oblasts, as well as Crimea.

Ukraine’s new Flamingo cruise missile appears to include older, cheaper and easy-to-acquire components. Leftover Soviet-made free-fall bombs as warheads. And, for propulsion, a simple jet engine borrowed from a military training plane.

The inclusion of off-the-shelf components that are readily available from manufacturers in Ukraine or allied countries is good news as the Flamingo’s builder, Fire Point, aims to ramp up production to as many as seven missiles a day by next month.

There’s still a lot we don’t know about the Flamingo, including its cost. Fire Point is under official investigation in Kyiv for possibly inflating the missile’s capability and price.

Regardless of the outcome of that probe, photos and videos of the massive, seven-ton missile hint at a reliable and affordable design. A close look at the fiberglass missile’s nose seems to indicate the warhead is actually two warheads: a pair of repurposed gravity bombs packed end to end.

The Flamingo seems to be based on the FP-5 missile design from U.K. firm Milanion. The firm claims the FP-5 ranges 3,000 km with a 1,000-kg payload. There isn’t a 1,000-kg Soviet-style gravity bomb in widespread use, according to missile expert Fabian Hoffmann. So “the payload could consist of two stacked FAB-500 unguided bombs,” each weighing 500 kg, Hoffmann wrote.

The evidence points to the FAB-500 M62, one of the most ubiquitous Soviet-era unguided dumb bombs. The Soviet air force left behind potentially thousands of the bombs when it left Ukraine in 1991. Many munitions companies continue to build new FAB-500s, including Bulcomers KS in Bulgaria.

Abundant bombs

It’s not for no reason that, when the Ukrainian air force recently developed a simple precision glide-bomb similar to the Russian UMPK, it used old FAB-500 M62s as the basis—and added pop-out wings and satellite guidance.

With end-to-end FAB-500s, a Flamingo should be able to strike with the equivalent of 550 kg of TNT, Hoffmann estimated. That “is substantially more than the long-range drones and mini-cruise missiles Ukraine currently employs.”

Satellite imagery from the aftermath of the first confirmed Flamingo raid, targeting a Russian intelligence and hovercraft base in occupied Crimea on Aug. 30, depicts a large crater and other damage that may confirm Hoffmann’s assessment.

The ramp-launched Flamingo depends on a simple rocket booster to get it off the ground—and, it seems, an Ivchenko AI-25TL turbofan engine to propel the giant missile as fast as 950 km/hr. The AI-25TL, which powers Aero L-39 jet trainers and other aircraft, produces 1,850 kg of thrust.

An L-39 weighs five tons, which is two tons less than a Flamingo weighs. But the L-39 must be maneuverable, where the Flamingo is expected to fly a simple course at steady speed under inertial and satellite guidance. The AI-25TL is more than adequate—and, more importantly, it’s in production in Ukraine with firm Motor Sich. It’s priced to move at around $40,000 per engine.

With a low-cost warhead and equally affordable engine, a Flamingo might cost less than $1 million. That’s quite low for a long-range heavy cruise missile. A Russian Kh-101 or American Tomahawk both cost several times as much.

The Flamingo could change the deep-strike math for Ukraine. The new missile “has so much range and such a big warhead that that’s one of the important ones that could really make a difference,” Finnish analyst Joni Askola said.

And if the missile really is as cheap as it appears to be, Fire Point may actually be able to ramp up production to seven missiles a day.

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Ukraine destroyed another Russian S-300V system in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, along with its radar, in a drone strike on 3 September, media reports said. The attack marks another major blow against Russia’s air defenses in Ukraine’s occupied south.

Ukrainian drones strike in Polohy district

Militarnyi reports that the strike was carried out in the morning near the village of Oleksiivka in Polohy district by the Lasar’s Group unit of the National Guard. Video published by Telegram channel Butusov Plus shows drone operators identifying the Russian system before hitting it on a roadway. Petro Andriushchenko, head of the Center for the Study of Occupation, also released images of the destroyed launcher.

Radar supporting Buk systems eliminated

The destroyed radar was the 9S36 station, which forms part of Russia’s modern middle-range Buk-M2 and Buk-M3 air defense systems. The station uses a mast that can extend to 22 meters, giving it the ability to detect low-flying targets even in forested or uneven terrain. It guides missiles through its antenna post, which can rise to 21 meters.

According to the manufacturer’s data, the radar can track and engage up to four air targets at once, adjusting for terrain obstacles up to 20 meters high.

Recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian air defenses

On 27 August, Ukraine struck a Russian S-300 division and aircraft at Baltimor airbase. That attack destroyed a 76N6 radar responsible for detecting targets at medium and high altitudes, as well as a 30N6 radar used for illumination and guidance.

Another S-300 system was destroyed earlier on 20 August by fighters of Lasar’s group on Russian-occupied territory in Zaporizhzhia oblast. Together with the latest strike, these operations highlight a sustained Ukrainian campaign targeting Russian air defense assets.

In the early hours of 4 September 2025, Ukrainian Defense Forces reportedly struck two radar installations in southern Russia’s Rostov Oblast. Militarnyi reports that the targets were the “Navigation of the South” radar complex (RLS-1) and a site located at a former air defense base.

Ukrainian strike hits Rostov aviation radar

The RLS-1 “Navigation of the South” is part of the Aeronavigation South branch infrastructure in Rostov-on-Don. It performs key functions in air traffic management over southern Russia, including aircraft detection and tracking, route coordination, flight support, aviation radio communication, and fixed satellite links. The complex is part of Russia’s centralized air traffic control system.

Ukrainian Telegram channel Krymskyi Veter reported that a fire broke out at the site on 4 September, as shown by NASA’s FIRMS map that features detected thermal signatures at the location. 

Strike also hits former air defense base

NASA data also show that the second site was on the grounds of a former air defense unit (military unit 65312) and military town that previously hosted the 1244th anti-aircraft missile regiment, which had been equipped with S-300PS surface-to-air missile systems in the 1990s. In 1997, the unit was merged with the 584th regiment and moved to Maryino in Moscow Oblast.

Militarnyi notes that Russia likely decided to restore the site for use in the war. A radar complex similar to RLS-1, believed to perform similar tasks, is located at the site. 

August radar strike in occupied Crimea

On 12 August, Ukrainian Special Operations Forces destroyed the Skala-M radar station in Russian-occupied Crimea. The station was used for air traffic control along routes and approach zones, with a range of up to 350 kilometers. Images published by Dnipro Osint showed the station before and after the strike.

In the early hours of 1 September, Ukrainian drones struck a critical transformer substation in the southern Russian town of Kropotkin, Krasnodar Krai, igniting a massive fire and disabling the infrastructure that powered one of southern Russia’s key railway hubs.

Ukrainian drones ignite Kropotkin substation, disabling strategic logistics node

According to Russian Telegram channel Astra, the attack triggered a blaze at the substation servicing the Kavkazskaya railway station in Kropotkin. The local operational headquarters confirmed the incident, attributing the fire to debris from downed drones. Officials claimed there were no casualties.

“We’re dying from the smoke on Zheleznodorozhnaya [Steet],” read one message, while others noted unbearable conditions on Shevchenko Street.

Videos and reports shared by Ukrainian Telegram channel Exilenova+ identified the substation as the 330kV Kropotkin transformer, which supplied power to the regional energy system and to critical railway lines connecting the North Caucasus with Rostov, Kuban, and the Black Sea ports.

The Kavkazskaya station, a railway junction, plays a crucial role in transporting freight, including grain and oil products, and in moving military hardware and personnel toward northern Russia and occupied Crimea. Disrupting this link complicates Russia’s ability to sustain operations in multiple directions.

Strategic targeting of Russian railway infrastructure continues

Just a week earlier, Ukrainian drones hit a railway hub and locomotive depot in the town of Petrov Val, Volgograd Oblast — approximately 350 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.

On 17 August, drones attacked the Liski railway station in Voronezh Oblast, one of the largest junctions in the South-Eastern Railway system. That strike brought train traffic to a halt. The station is actively used by Russian forces to transport military equipment and personnel.

Broader drone campaign spans multiple regions

In its morning update, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed that 50 drones had been intercepted overnight across various regions. According to its statement, 16 were shot down over the Black Sea, 12 over Belgorod Oblast, 7 over the Azov Sea, and several others across Saratov, Samara, Orenburg oblasts, the Republic of Tatarstan, and Krasnodar Krai itself.

Militarnyi reports that a Ukrainian drone strike on 30 August 2025 destroyed two Russian helicopter gunships at the airfield in occupied Crimea’s capital, Simferopol. Satellite imagery published by the AviaVector X account confirmed the destruction of a Mi-8 and a Mi-24 helicopter at the site.

Satellite confirms two helicopters destroyed in occupied Crimea

According to Militarnyi, the drone attack took place at approximately 06:30 on 30 August, when Russian monitoring channels began reporting the movement of drones toward Simferopol. Following the reports, a powerful explosion occurred at the airport, followed by thick black smoke.

AviaVector’s satellite imagery captured on the same day showed two attack helicopters destroyed as a result of the strike. An earlier image from 22 August showed a group of military aircraft stationed close together at the airfield. Specifically, the photo documented five Mi-8 helicopters, three Mi-24s, one An-26, and one Tu-134UBL. Militarnyi notes that all these aircraft were concentrated in a small area.

Initial claims after the explosion suggested that aviation fuel tanks had been hit, but this information was later proven false. The satellite images confirmed that the damage involved airframes, not fuel infrastructure.

Russian Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters among the destroyed aircraft

Mi-8 helicopters are currently in wide use by the Russian Armed Forces and are the main transport helicopter in Russian military service. The exact model of the Mi-8 destroyed in Simferopol is unknown. However, Mi-8 helicopters are used by Russian forces for troop transport, strike missions, air defense tasks, and operations against Ukrainian naval drones.

Prior confirmed case of drone-launched missile strike on Mi-8s

On 31 December 2024, Ukrainian forces destroyed two Mi-8 helicopters using R-73 air-to-air missiles launched from a sea-based drone. This was the first confirmed use of this method to eliminate an airborne target.

Ukraine’s military intelligence agency HUR has released a video showing a night-time drone strike on a key Russian radar installation in occupied Crimea. The destroyed radar was part of the S-400 Triumf air defense system—Russia’s most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile complex designed to detect and shoot down aircraft, drones, and missiles at ranges up to 400 km.

Ukrainian drone disables long-range Russian radar in Crimea

According to HUR, the operation took place in the early hours of 28 August and targeted a 91N6E radar complex—an essential component of the S-400 system responsible for long-range target detection. The strike was carried out by the Department of Active Operations of HUR. A short video released by the agency shows the drone approaching and striking the installation.

Ukrainian outlet Militarnyi reports that the radar’s antenna array—its most vulnerable part—was directly hit by an aircraft-type drone. The outlet notes the installation was likely disabled as a result. HUR mocked the loss, saying another “Triumf” of the occupiers had gone blind, calling it a “fiasco.”

Russia’s radar shield in Crimea is steadily crumbling

Earlier this month, the unit destroyed several radar stations belonging to the Russian 3rd Radio-Technical Regiment, based in the Ai-Petri mountain area on Crimea’s southern coast. Russia had attempted to protect these radar systems by hiding them under Soviet-era radio-transparent domes. However, Ukrainian drones still managed to hit the Nebo-SVU, Podlet K-1, and the rare 98L6 Yenisey radars.

The Yenisey radar is a next-generation system developed for use with the future S-500 missile platform.

Ukraine creates blind zones for deeper drone strikes

The goal of these strikes, according to Militarnyi, is to carve out “blind corridors” in Russian radar coverage over occupied territory. These gaps have allowed Ukrainian long-range drones to carry out additional raids.

In the past month, HUR and the SBU conducted attacks that damaged up to six Russian fighter jets at the Saky airfield. At Kirovske airbase, Ukrainian drones also hit Mi-8 and Mi-26 transport helicopters and a Mi-28 attack helicopter.

The recent Ukrainian drone strikes have forced Russia’s Ust-Luga oil export terminal on the Baltic Sea coast to cut operations by half for September, Reuters reports. The disruption follows earlier drone attacks on pipeline infrastructure, and has triggered emergency rerouting of crude exports to other ports.

Damage affects flows to key terminal

Two industry sources told Reuters that Ust-Luga will operate at about 350,000 barrels per day—roughly half its normal capacity. The slowdown comes after Ukrainian drone strikes earlier in August targeted the Unecha pumping station in Russia’s Bryansk Oblast. Unecha is a crucial node in the pipeline system that feeds Ust-Luga and is also linked to the Druzhba pipeline.

The drone attacks have affected crude flows not only to Ust-Luga but also through the Druzhba pipeline, which supplies Belarus, Slovakia, and Hungary. Slovakia said on 28 August that initial supplies via the Druzhba line had resumed in test mode.

Crude redirected as repair work begins

The Reuters sources did not clarify which pipeline was damaged but said that repair work was underway. However, there is no clear timeline for when full capacity at Ust-Luga will be restored. To limit export losses, oil volumes are being redirected to Russia’s Primorsk and Novorossiisk ports.

Ukrainian drones struck several targets across Russia in the early hours of 28 August, causing fires at two oil refineries and disrupting rail traffic. Confirmed attacks hit the Kuibyshevsky refinery in the city of Samara about 1,000 km from the frontlines, the Afipsky refinery in Krasnodar Krai around 300 km behind the lines, and a locomotive depot in Petrov Val, Volgograd Oblast. A railway station in Samara Oblast was also reportedly targeted, leading to service delays. 

Strike hits Samara’s Kuibyshevsky refinery

According to Russian Telegram news channel Astra and Ukrainian Exilenova+, a drone attack caused fires at the Kuibyshevsky oil refinery in Samara in the early hours of 28 August. Both channels shared footage of the attack and the subsequent fires.

Local residents began reporting UAV flights over the city and explosions near the facility shortly after 03:00. According to both channels, initial confusion led many locals to believe the Novokuibyshevsky refinery had been hit again after an attack weeks ago. 

Exilenova+ posted follow-ups referencing public speculation about the number of drones involved, writing that “the excited local crowd counted 17 drones, lost count.” The same channel later claimed, without confirmation, that both the Kuibyshevsky and Novokuibyshevsky refineries had been struck.

In response to the attack, the governor of Samara Oblast announced temporary flight restrictions at Samara airport and mobile internet outages “for citizens’ safety.” Emergency services and air defense systems were reportedly activated during the incident.

Afipsky refinery also targeted in Krasnodar Krai

Exilenova+ also shared footage of fires at on the Afipsky oil refinery in southern Russia’s Krasnodar Krai. Russian authorities confirmed the attack, but attributed damage to “falling drone debris” that caused a fire at one of the refinery’s units in the settlement of Afipsky.

The attack affected a gas and condensate processing unit, previously targeted in earlier strikes, according to Exilenova’s geolocation of the footage. The channel geolocated and published video evidence of the fire. Emergency crews were deployed to the scene, with 21 personnel and eight vehicles extinguishing the 20-square-meter blaze. Officials stated there were no casualties.

Petrov Val train depot attacked again

The city of Petrov Val in Volgograd Oblast experienced a repeat drone strike, just five days after a previous attack on 23 August. Exilenova+ shared videos showing fires at the facility, claiming the attack targeted the TChE-7 locomotive depot. According to Astra, a drone impact led to a fire at one of the technical buildings of the depot in the city. Governor Bocharov stated that the fire was quickly extinguished and that there were no injuries.

Rail traffic disrupted in Samara Oblast

In addition to refinery and depot attacks, drones reportedly also targeted Kryazh station in Samara Oblast. Astra quoted Kuybyshev Railway as saying that drone debris damaged the contact network between Kryazh and Lipiahy stations.

The incident led to train disruptions: six long-distance and four suburban trains were delayed, with the maximum delay reaching 2 hours and 14 minutes. Three suburban trains were canceled.

Russia claims 102 drones downed overnight

Despite the widespread damage, Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed its air defenses destroyed 102 Ukrainian drones overnight. According to the ministry, 22 drones were intercepted over the Black Sea, 21 each over Rostov and Samara oblasts, 18 over Krasnodar Krai, 11 over occupied Crimea, three each over Voronezh and Saratov oblasts, two over Volgograd Oblast, and one over the Sea of Azov.

As always, the Russian ministry’s claims have not been independently verified.

In the aftermath of the 24 August drone strike, the Syzran oil refinery in Russia’s Samara Oblast about 1,000 km from Ukraine is no longer operational due to the destruction of its most critical equipment. Russian Telegram channel Astra, citing sources in the emergency services, reported that the facility lost the AVT-6 primary processing unit, the L-35-6 secondary unit, and the pump station — all essential for continued refinery operations.

Core refinery units rendered inoperable

According to Astra, five drones exploded on site on 24 August, three of which directly struck key infrastructure. Five more drones were reportedly shot down on approach. No injuries were reported, as all 240 employees had sheltered during the attack.

Previous strike on Syzran refinery occurred weeks ago

The refinery, owned by Rosneft, is one of Samara Oblast’s largest oil-processing enterprises, producing a wide range of petroleum products and supplying fuel to central Russian oblasts and military units. Following earlier drone strikes on 15 August, the facility had already suffered major damage and had suspended crude oil intake and processing.

The 15 August attack struck the ELOU-AVT-6 unit, designed for desalting and primary crude oil distillation, and also damaged several storage tanks.

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Systematic drone campaign deepens energy crisis

The refinery has also been targeted multiple times this year, with incidents in February and March causing fires. 

According to Reuters, Ukrainian drone strikes in August have disabled 17% of Russia’s oil refining capacity.

The situation has contributed to worsening fuel shortages across Russia and occupied Ukrainian territories, particularly in Crimea, Zabaykalsky Krai, Vladivostok, Buryatia, and Primorsky Krai.

Ukraine has disabled 17% of Russia’s oil refining capacity through a wave of recent drone strikes targeting key infrastructure, Reuters reports. The attacks, carried out over the past month, have disrupted fuel processing, sparked gasoline shortages, and hit the core of Moscow’s war economy as Washington seeks to broker a peace deal.

Ukraine strikes 10 refineries, targets export terminals

Reuters calculated that Ukraine’s strikes have taken out 1.1 million barrels per day of Russian oil refining capacity. The drones targeted 10 plants, including Lukoil’s Volgograd refinery and Rosneft’s facility in Ryazan. Other damaged refineries include those in Rostov, Samara, Saratov, and Krasnodar regions.

In addition to oil refineries, Ukrainian drones attacked the Druzhba pipeline and Novatek’s Ust-Luga export terminal and gas processing complex on the Baltic Sea. The fire at the Novoshakhtinsk refinery in Rostov Oblast was still burning as of 25 August, days after being struck by drones.

The Syzran refinery in Samara Oblast was critically affected — key equipment was destroyed, rendering it unable to function. Afipsky in Krasnodar Krai and the facility in Novokuybyshevsk were also hit.

Fuel shortages hit occupied territories and Russia’s south and far east

Fuel shortages followed in parts of Russian-occupied Ukraine, southern Russia, and the Russian Far East. Moscow had already banned gasoline exports in July due to growing domestic demand.

According to Sergei Vakulenko of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, the damaged plants have lost only part of their output, but even limited disruptions can impact supply. He previously worked for Gazprom Neft.

Russia depends on oil and gas for a quarter of its budget revenues. This year, it raised defense spending by 25%, reaching Cold War–era levels. Despite sanctions, Moscow continues large-scale weapons production. Still, economic growth has slowed, causing concern in the Kremlin.