Ukraine’s military said Thursday that it targeted a major Russian oil refinery using British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles.
In a statement, Kyiv said its air force “successfully struck” the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in Russia’s Rostov region, which borders eastern Ukraine.
Why It Matters
Ukraine has repeatedly targeted sites tied to Russia’s oil and energy exports in an effort to reduce the revenue Moscow can use to sustain its war. Kyiv carried out a record number of attacks on oil facilities in November, striking 14 times, Bloomberg reported at the start of December, as Russia intensified its own attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
What To Know
Ukrainian officials said the strike set off “numerous explosions,” adding that the extent of the damage was still being assessed.
Kyiv described the Novoshakhtinsk refinery as one of the largest petroleum-product producers in southern Russia and said it plays a key role in supporting Russia’s armed forces—particularly by supplying diesel and jet fuel.
The U.K. began sending Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine in May 2023. It remains unclear how many of the air-launched Anglo-French cruise missiles—also sometimes referred to as SCALP-EG—Ukraine has received from the U.K. and France.
Storm Shadow weighs more than 4,100 pounds and has a publicly advertised range of more than 155 miles. The U.K. approved Ukrainian strikes inside Russian territory last year.
Ukraine has faced shifting restrictions on how Western-provided weapons can be used for cross-border strikes. Domestically produced systems—such as Neptune missiles and long-range drones—are not subject to those same limits.
Ukraine’s military also said it struck the Temryuk seaport in Russia’s Krasnodar region the same night, damaging two oil tanks. Kyiv claimed the port supports Russia’s military supply chain.
Separately, Kyiv said it attacked a military airfield in the Caucasus republic of Adygea overnight. The military did not specify what was damaged but said a target “was hit and a fire broke out.”
Russian Telegram channels, meanwhile, reported explosions in Volgograd shortly after 11 p.m. local time Thursday. One account claiming links to authorities said blasts were heard in the Krasnoarmeysky area, where a major oil refinery operated by Lukoil is located.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said Friday it intercepted 34 Ukrainian drones over the Volgograd region overnight. Volgograd Governor Andrey Bocharov said late Thursday that air defenses had “repelled a terrorist drone attack,” adding that no casualties were reported and there was no “damage to any facilities,” according to his statement.
What People Are Saying
“The Ukrainian Defense Forces continue to take the necessary measures to undermine the military-economic potential of the Russian invaders and force the Russian Federation to cease armed aggression against Ukraine,” Ukraine’s military said Thursday.
