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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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.

Ukrainian forces attacked an oil refinery in the Russian city of Ryazan and an oil depot in occupied Luhansk during the night of 5 September, Robert Brovdi, commander of Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces, said.

The Ryazan Oil Refinery, one of Russia’s four largest refineries, was struck by Ukraine’s 14th Unmanned Systems Regiment together with Special Operations Forces, Main Intelligence Directorate, and other Defense Forces components. The same regiment targeted the Luhansk oil depot.

Russian Telegram channel Astra earlier cited eyewitnesses reporting that the Ryazan refinery was burning following drone strikes. Ryazan region governor Pavel Malkov claimed that eight drones were shot down over the region overnight, with debris falling on an industrial facility.

Russian media and Telegram channels reported a large fire in occupied Luhansk on the evening of 4 September. The strike reportedly hit a key oil depot that supplies fuel to Russian forces.

Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil refineries have occurred regularly since the beginning of 2024. Some facilities have sustained damage to primary oil processing units requiring repairs.

Ukraine’s General Staff has confirmed most attacks, stating that the Defense Forces “systematically implement measures aimed at reducing the combat potential of Russian occupation forces, as well as forcing the Russian Federation to cease armed aggression against Ukraine.”

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.