Why Russian Refineries Are Becoming a Key Battlefield
Ukraine’s Oil War: Can Attacks on Russian Energy Infrastructure Change the Conflict? Ukraine is increasingly fighting Russia far beyond the battlefield. Its drones are targeting the oil infrastructure that helps fuel Russia’s economy and its war machine. What Is Happening Now? Ukraine pushes deeper into Russia Ukraine says a drone attack has struck an oil refinery in Perm, more than 1,600 kilometres from the Ukrainian border. Russia also reported intercepting hundreds of Ukrainian drones during the latest wave of attacks. The Perm strike follows months of attacks on refineries and energy facilities. Reuters reported recent strikes affecting facilities including Orsk, TANECO, Ilsky, Yaroslavl, Volgograd and Saratov. Why It Matters Energy is becoming a battlefield Oil is important to Russia because energy supports government revenues and military activity. Kyiv says its campaign is designed to reduce the resources available for Moscow’s war effort. The pressure is becoming visible domest...