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Ukraine Has Attacked 24 of Russia’s 33 Major Oil Refineries Since 2022
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Ukraine has carried out at least 158 strikes against Russian oil refineries since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, according to calculations published by the Russian-language outlet Vot Tak on May 21.
The analysis states that Ukrainian forces have targeted no fewer than 24 out of Russia’s 33 largest oil refineries, each with an annual processing capacity exceeding one million tons of crude oil.
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Among Russia’s major refineries, only the Omsk and Angarsk facilities, both located beyond the Ural Mountains, have reportedly remained outside the range of Ukrainian attacks.
According to the report, the Ryazan and Saratov oil refineries have been struck most frequently, with each facility reportedly targeted 15 times since the beginning of the war.
The publication also noted that 2025 became the most intensive year in terms of the number of attacks on Russia’s oil-processing infrastructure. It added that, only months into the current year, Ukraine has already nearly matched the total number of refinery strikes recorded throughout all of 2024.
As a result of the strikes, some Russian factories reduced or halted operations, and the country’s oil refining volume fell to its lowest level since 2009, Vot Tak added.
In contrast, Russia’s oil industry suffered more than $13 billion in combined direct and indirect losses in 2025 as a result of Ukrainian drone strikes, according to senior officials at the Russian insurance broker Mains.
Evgeny Borovikov, deputy CEO of Mains, said that direct damage to oil and gas infrastructure from drone attacks exceeded 100 billion rubles (around $1.1 billion).
He added that when broader economic effects are taken into account—including lost production and secondary disruptions—the total impact rises above 1 trillion rubles (approximately $11.5 billion).
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Separately, Bloomberg, citing estimates based on both Ukrainian and Russian official statements, reported that Ukraine carried out around 120 strikes on Russian energy infrastructure in 2025.
Of these, 81 targeted oil refineries, making them the most frequently hit facilities. Maritime energy infrastructure, including offshore oil and gas platforms, was struck 27 times, while pipelines were hit on eight occasions and oil tankers were targeted in four separate incidents.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian long-range strikes are increasingly shaping Russia’s strategic calculations, describing them as “precision” and “long-range sanctions” against the Russian war effort.
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He stated that Russia should be focused on protecting its own refineries, oil facilities, and industrial enterprises, rather than seeking to destabilize other countries, including Ukraine and its neighbors such as Moldova.
Zelenskyy also noted that Ukrainian Defense Forces carried out strikes on targets in temporarily occupied territories, including Crimea.
"Our long-range capabilities are significantly changing the situation – and, more broadly, the world’s perception of Russia’s war," the president added
The campaign against Russian energy infrastructure has continued in recent days. On May 21, a fire reportedly broke out at the Syzran oil refinery in Russia’s Samara region following a suspected drone strike, according to Exilenova+.
Residents heard drones flying over the area during the early morning hours before images and videos began circulating online showing dense black smoke rising above the refinery. Some footage also appeared to show flames at the facility.
Preliminary information suggested that one of the refinery’s oil-processing units may have caught fire as a result of the attack.
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