During a cleanup operation following an oil spill in a river, caused by a drone strike on the Tuapse refinery in the Krasnodar region (Russia), April 29, 2026. AFP
After Tuapse, Perm. After the Black Sea coast, the heart of the Urals. In recent days, Ukraine has ramped up drone attacks across Russia, diversifying its targets and striking deeper into Russian territory. The strategy has remained the same: targeting oil facilities (including refineries, ports and depots) to disrupt supply chains in this crucial sector of the Russian economy, the true backbone of the Kremlin's war budget. Kyiv's stated goal has been to curb Russia's export capacities to prevent Moscow from capitalizing on the surge in oil prices triggered by the war in the Middle East.
In Tuapse, a coastal city in southern Russia, residents continue to wear masks to protect themselves from air pollution caused by strikes on the city's vast oil facilities, which have been targeted three times in recent weeks. The most recent attack, overnight from Monday, April 20, to Tuesday, April 21, prompted local authorities to declare a state of emergency. They asked the roughly 60,000 residents of Tuapse to stay indoors. Footage of the toxic "black rain," an environmental disaster for the Black Sea and its coastlines, spread throughout the country.
