How Ukrainian Drones Are Crippling Russia’s Oil Refineries

ByDavid Kirichenko

ByDavid Kirichenko,

Contributor.

Ukraine is waging a campaign to destroy Russian oil refineries. It is squeezing the Kremlin, raising the cost of its war. The drone campaign also reflects Ukraine’s expanding reach across Russia, as Moscow struggles to protect its vast territory.

Kyiv began targeting Russian oil refineries in late 2023. The Biden administration, wary of rising oil prices, expressed frustration over these strikes. Without access to Western long-range weapons, Ukraine developed a homegrown fleet of drones to fill the gap. “If we are not invited to NATO, then we must build NATO on our own territory,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told The Economist in February.