Ukraine Is Dismantling Russia’s Oil Empire—One Refinery at a Time

Ukraine has continued its sustained campaign against Russia’s oil infrastructure with overnight drone strikes on two major refineries—Kuybyshev in Samara and Afipsky in Krasnodar Krai.

According to Defense Express on August 28, Ukrainian long-range drones struck the Kuybyshev refinery using domestically produced “Liutyi” UAVs.

Available footage from the scene shows a large-scale fire engulfing the refinery and captures the moment of another drone strike, as well as a failed interception attempt by Russian air defense.

The Afipsky refinery was also targeted in what has become a repeated effort to disable key components of Russia’s energy sector. This marks the second confirmed strike on the same facility in August alone.

These latest operations bring Ukraine closer to completing what appears to be a systematic degradation of Russian oil refining capabilities within a 1,000-kilometer range. Over the course of August, Ukraine has launched more than ten successful strikes on major Russian refineries, including:

• August 2: Ryazan and Novokuybyshev refineries (both in Samara region);

• August 7: Afipsky refinery;

• August 10: Saratov refinery;

• August 13 and 19: Volgograd refinery (Lukoil);

• August 15 and 24: Syzran refinery;

• August 24: Novoshakhtinsk refinery;

• August 25: Ilsky refinery;

• August 28: Kuybyshev and Afipsky refineries.

In addition to refineries, Ukraine’s long-range strike campaign has included attacks on pipeline infrastructure, oil depots, and related logistical nodes.

Some facilities, such as the Nizhnekamsk refinery near Yelabuga—home to Russia’s Shahed drone assembly plant—have not been struck since February 11.

Others, including the Tuapse refinery near Sochi (last targeted on March 14) and the Kapotnya refinery in Moscow, remain protected by heavily fortified air defense.

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Additional potential targets include smaller refineries near Oryol, Kaluga, and in the city of Krasnodar. Despite this, the current campaign illustrates a clear operational pattern: repeated targeting of select refineries until functional disruption is achieved.

Earlier, a Reuters report on August 25 stated that Ukrainian drone and missile strikes had already knocked out 17 Russian refining units across at least five regions, reducing Russia’s total refining capacity by approximately 14%. The targets included major sites in Samara, Ryazan, Volgograd, Oryol, and Leningrad.

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