Ukraine is waging a parallel war on Russia’s oil economy. A wave of drone strikes targeting refineries across multiple Russian regions, some over 2,000 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, has disrupted fuel supplies, sparked fires at critical facilities, and introduced a fresh layer of volatility into global energy and crypto markets.
The strikes keep getting bolder
On June 18, 2026, Ukraine launched what was described as the largest assault on Moscow since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022. The target was the Moscow Oil Refinery in Kapotnya, a Gazprom Neft facility sitting roughly 15 kilometers from the Kremlin. The strike caused substantial damage and triggered significant fires at the refinery, which sits in a densely populated area of the Russian capital.
Ten days later, on June 28, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed drone attacks on at least two additional Russian oil refineries, in Slavyansk and the Yaroslavl region. These were part of a coordinated campaign stretching across Vladimir, Tyumen, and other regions far removed from the front lines.
The Tyumen strikes are particularly notable. That region sits over 2,000 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, deep in western Siberia.
