Ukraine Cripples Russia’s War Machine With Strikes On Samara Oil Giant And Rubikon Drone Base

Ukraine’s Defense Forces have carried out coordinated strikes against key elements of Russia’s military logistics, targeting an oil refinery in the Samara region and a drone storage site linked to the Rubikon unit.

According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on November 16, the operations aimed to degrade Russia’s ability to supply fuel and sustain unmanned systems used along the front.

The General Staff reported that Ukrainian units hit the Novokuybyshevsk oil refinery—one of Russia’s major fuel-production facilities with an annual processing capability of roughly 9 million tonnes.

The strike triggered explosions and a fire in the area of the refinery; the extent of the damage is still being assessed.

In a separate operation, Ukrainian forces targeted a storage site for Rubikon-operated drones and a fuel-transfer station on the temporarily occupied territory of the Donetsk region.

According to the General Staff, the refinery plays a significant role in sustaining Russia’s military fuel supply, including high-grade aviation fuel.

In an official update, the General Staff stated that the Defense Forces “will continue to take measures to undermine the offensive potential of the Russian occupiers and force the Russian Federation to cease its armed aggression against Ukraine.”

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The Novokuybyshevsk refinery produces more than 20 types of oil products and is integrated into Russia’s military fuel chain. Ukrainian officials said explosions and a subsequent fire were observed near the targeted facilities.

The General Staff also released updated information on the previous Ukrainian strike against the Ryazan oil refinery on November 15.

According to the update, the attack damaged two primary crude-processing units—ELOU-AVT-4 and ELOU-AVT-6—along with fuel storage tanks and pipeline infrastructure.

Earlier, Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed the first combat use of the domestically produced Flamingo and Bars long-range systems during coordinated overnight strikes on military targets in occupied Crimea, the occupied Zaporizhzhia region, and inside Russia.

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