Ukraine’s Storm Shadow Missiles Strike Deep Into Russia, Hitting Key Oil Refinery, Video

Ukrainian forces carried out two separate long-range strikes inside Russia, targeting a military airfield near Maykop in the Republic of Adygea and a major oil refinery in Russia’s Rostov region, according to official statements from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on December 25.

In the first attack, Ukraine’s Armed Forces struck the Khanskaya airfield near the city of Maykop. The General Staff said the target was hit and that a fire broke out at the site following the strike.

The airfield, officially designated as military unit No. 55661, hosts the 272nd Training Aviation Base (2nd category). Before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the facility was primarily used for training flights and operated L-39 jet trainers.

Khanskaya airfield is located approximately 3 kilometers east of the Khanskaya settlement and about 6 kilometers northwest of Maykop. The distance from the airfield to Ukrainian-controlled territory is estimated at roughly 500 kilometers, underscoring the depth of the strike.

Video footage published by a local resident appears to confirm that the airfield was hit. However, due to heavy cloud cover, satellite imagery has not yet been able to provide a clear assessment of damage.

At the same time, Ukrainian forces also struck the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in Russia’s Rostov region, triggering a large fire. Photos and videos showing thick smoke rising above the site were published by the Telegram channel News of Rostov and the Region. Ukraine’s General Staff later confirmed both the strike and the use of Storm Shadow cruise missiles.

According to Russian sources, a missile alert was declared in the region shortly before the explosions. Local residents reported hearing approximately 10 explosions, as well as an unusual roaring sound resembling that of a jet engine.

The Novoshakhtinsk refinery is an operational facility near the city of Novoshakhtinsk and is one of the largest oil refineries in southern Russia. It is also the only oil-refining plant in the Rostov region. The refinery was built between 2005 and 2009 and became one of the first large refineries constructed in Russia after a long hiatus.

The plant’s design capacity is estimated at up to 7.5 million tons of crude oil per year—roughly 112,000–115,000 barrels per day—though some sources place annual capacity between 5.6 and 7.5 million tons. In 2024, the refinery reportedly processed about 3 million tons, with output constrained by repeated drone attacks and damage to equipment.

The Novoshakhtinsk refinery produces a wide range of petroleum products, including diesel fuel, Euro-5 gasoline, fuel oil, marine and furnace fuels, and other refined products. It is connected to Russia’s Transneft pipeline system and rail infrastructure, allowing crude supply and product shipment by rail and via river routes through the Don River terminal.

Earlier, drones struck the port of Temryuk in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai, igniting oil product storage tanks and triggering a large fire that spread across roughly 2,000 square meters.

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