A Ukrainian drone campaign against Russia’s oil infrastructure has grown from occasional attacks to a sustained effort aimed at weakening Moscow’s war economy and disrupting the energy system that supports its military operations, targeting oil refineries, fuel depots, storage facilities, and energy logistics hubs.
The attacks, which are often deep inside Russian territory, are creating one of the most serious fuel shortages that Russia has faced in recent times, and the pace of the attacks is only accelerating, from just a handful in 2023 to dozens in 2024 and hundreds in 2025-26.
Ukrainian strikes have reached some of Russia’s largest refineries and energy facilities. By mid-2026, more than 150 attacks on Russian oil refineries had been recorded since the beginning of the full-scale war, affecting dozens of major processing plants, some thousands of kilometres inside Russia. This is challenging Moscow’s air defence capabilities, forcing it to divert resources to protect critical infrastructure.
The impact has been most visible in Russia’s domestic fuel market. Damage to refineries has reduced processing capacity, creating shortages of petrol and diesel despite Russia being one of the world’s largest oil producers. There are shortages across numerous regions, causing long queues at petrol stations, purchase limits, and rising prices. Fuel rationing has now been introduced in dozens of regions.
For Kyiv, the aim is not only to damage Russia’s energy infrastructure but to increase the cost of its war by targeting a sector that provides vital state revenues and military fuel supplies. For Moscow, the crisis highlights a new vulnerability: while Russia can continue producing crude oil, protecting and maintaining its vast refining network has become increasingly difficult under sustained drone attacks.
