Incredible! Russia Lost 15% Oil Refining Capacity in 1 Day! - RFU News

Today, there are interesting updates from the Russian Federation.

Here, as Russian authorities were trying to repair the damage to oil refineries from previous Ukrainian attacks, the Ukrainians dealt them another devastating blow. By starting a new wave of strikes with long-range drones, the Ukrainian army targeted Russian oil production facilities to disrupt this key enemy source of income.

Ukrainian forces have reignited their strategic campaign against Russia’s oil infrastructure, resuming targeted drone strikes on critical refineries after a calculated pause. After concentrating on disabling Russian air defenses and radars in the past month, Ukrainian military leaders patiently allowed Russia to begin costly restoration efforts at previously damaged facilities. Once Russian repair crews and specialized equipment were fully engaged, Ukrainian drones decisively struck again, inflicting severe economic and logistical damage while simultaneously eroding Russia’s internal narrative of security.

The most significant recent attacks targeted major refineries in Samara and Ryazan. In Samara Oblast, Ukrainian long-range Liutyi drones successfully attacked the Novokuybyshevsk Petrochemical Company, one of Russia's largest oil-processing plants. Drone strikes severely damaged the facility’s primary oil refining unit, critical for initial crude purification and fractioning processes into gasoline, diesel, kerosene, and fuel oil. Videos confirm large-scale fires burning uncontrollably for hours, forcing authorities to temporarily shut down Samara airport and restrict mobile internet access to control information leaks. The Novokuybyshevsk refinery alone represents a daily processing capacity of over 177,000 barrels or almost 5% of Russia’s national refining capability.

In a similar attack, Ukrainian drones struck the Ryazan refinery, number 3 in the list of Russia’s largest oil refineries, processing approximately 340,000 barrels daily. This refinery notably produces 840,000 tons of aviation kerosene annually, nearly 9% of Russia’s total output, a vital resource for Russian air operations. Notably, this refinery is situated next to and directly supplies the Dyagilevo strategic bomber airbase, from where Russian bombers target Ukrainian cities and military bases deep behind combat lines. Footage captured massive fires and explosions within the facility, clearly contradicting official Russian claims of minor damage caused by falling drone debris. Such strikes significantly degrade Russia's capability to sustain air operations, directly benefiting Ukrainian defense efforts.

Russia’s strained air defenses, already weakened by relentless Ukrainian targeting, are becoming increasingly ineffective, forcing Moscow to deploy outdated systems and even rush production of air defense missiles, causing defects to become more common. Such desperation recently resulted in a friendly fire incident near Sochi, where a Russian air defense missile intended to intercept a Ukrainian drone instead suddenly veered toward urban areas, causing civilian casualties as a result.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian drone strikes inflicted serious damage on oil storage depots in Sochi and Adler, igniting tanks at Lukoil and Rosneft facilities. Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratyev confirmed deployment of over 120 firefighters to control the blaze at a major depot storing 2,000 cubic meters of fuel. Yet, local authorities responded to the incident by attempting to identify and punish residents who had shared visual evidence of the successful Ukrainian strikes online.

Additionally, Ukraine hit the refinery in Kstovo near Nizhny Novgorod, an already damaged facility previously targeted in January. The renewed strike represents Ukraine’s effective tactic of exploiting Russian vulnerabilities after costly restoration efforts. Another drone attack sparked a large fire at an oil facility in Volgograd, underscoring Ukraine’s renewed campaign against Russian oil infrastructure.

The strategic secret behind Ukraine's approach lies in the carefully timed repetition strikes. Allowing the Russians sufficient time and confidence to rebuild and re-staff targeted refineries before attacking again magnifies the economic damage and further drains Russian resources. The cumulative psychological impact on Russian society is equally devastating, publicly demonstrating the Kremlin's inability to secure vital national assets despite repeated attacks. This persistent vulnerability undermines the government’s image domestically, dismantles official assurances of a secure rear area, and weakens public morale.

Overall, these carefully orchestrated strikes systematically degrade Russia’s military capacity by cutting critical fuel supplies essential for combat operations. At the same time, Ukraine's coordinated drone assaults severely trim Russia’s...