Ukrainian drone strike hits Lukoil refinery deep inside Russia

Published Aug 21, 04:23 PM UTC

Ukraine conducted a long-range drone attack overnight, hitting an oil refinery in the Perm region of Russia, over 1,600 kilometers from the border. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed the strike on Lukoil's Permnefteorgsintez crude processing facility, which caused a large fire. The attack is part of Ukraine's ongoing campaign to target Russian oil processing and export facilities, aiming to disrupt fuel supplies to the Russian military and domestic market. Russian officials reported shooting down 16 drones over the Perm region but acknowledged damage to an industrial facility, with no injuries reported. This strike follows a similar attack on a Rosneft-owned refinery in Bashkortostan earlier in the week. Ukraine's strategy seeks to pressure Russia into peace negotiations while crippling its fuel supply amid peak demand season, which has already caused gasoline and diesel shortages in Russia for over three months.