Ukraine’s campaign against Russian energy infrastructure has shifted the war’s center of gravity, pushing the fight deep into Russian territory and exposing gaps in Kremlin air defenses. A wave of long-range drone and missile strikes has torched multiple oil depots, disrupted logistics, and even forced a Moscow airport to halt operations as air defenses struggled to cope. I trace ten key blows that illustrate how Ukraine is testing Russian resilience while signaling that the rear is no longer safe.
1. Ukraine’s Precision Strike on Russia’s First Oil Depot in Bryansk Oblast
Ukraine’s first major strike in this sequence, an attack on a Russian oil depot in Bryansk Oblast, set the pattern for what followed, even though specific local details remain unverified based on available sources. The core idea, confirmed across later reporting, is that Ukraine is deliberately targeting Russian fuel infrastructure to undermine the Kremlin’s ability to sustain large-scale operations. Early attacks showed that long-range drones could reach deep into Russian territory, igniting fuel facilities and forcing Russian commanders to divert scarce air defense assets away from the front.
The broader campaign is reflected in reporting that Ukraine has torched 10 Russian oil while Kremlin air defenses struggled and a Moscow airport shut down. By striking fuel depots, Ukraine is not only destroying valuable stocks but also signaling to Russian society that the war’s costs will be felt far from the front line. For Ukraine’s leadership, these attacks are a way to offset Russia’s numerical advantages by eroding its logistical backbone.
2. Second Depot Ablaze Near Rostov-on-Don
The second major blast, described as an oil depot near Rostov-on-Don, fits into the same pattern of deep strikes on Russian fuel infrastructure, although the exact location and timing are unverified based on available sources. What is clear from confirmed operations is that Ukraine has repeatedly used drones to hit depots that support Russian military logistics, including facilities linked to airfields and supply hubs. Each successful strike forces Russia to reroute fuel, stretching already pressured rail and road networks that feed the front in southern Ukraine.
These attacks also have a psychological dimension, as fires visible for many kilometers underscore the vulnerability of Russian infrastructure. When residents see depots burning near major cities, it undercuts the Kremlin’s narrative that the conflict is distant and contained. For Ukraine, every depot hit near Rostov-on-Don or similar hubs compounds the logistical strain and complicates Russia’s ability to sustain offensive operations in occupied territories, especially where fuel-intensive armored units are deployed.
3. Third Target: Explosions Rock Storage Facility in Voronezh
The reported strike on a storage facility in Voronezh, with claims of tens of thousands of tons of fuel lost, aligns with Ukraine’s stated goal of degrading Russian logistics, though the specific tonnage is unverified based on available sources. What is documented is that Ukraine’s General Staff has acknowledged long-range attacks on Russian fuel sites, including the Zhutovskaya oil depot in Russia’s Volgograd region on Jan 9–10. That confirmation shows Kyiv is willing to publicly own such strikes when they serve a clear military purpose.
By hitting depots in regions like Volgograd and, by implication, Voronezh, Ukraine is targeting nodes that feed both front-line units and strategic reserves. These facilities are not easily replaced, and damage can ripple through Russia’s supply chain for weeks. I see these attacks as part of a broader effort to force Russia into costly repairs and dispersal measures, which in turn reduce efficiency and increase the time needed to move fuel to the battlefield.
4. Russian Air Defenses Overwhelmed in Initial Wave
The early wave of strikes exposed serious weaknesses in Russian air defenses, particularly when confronted with large numbers of small, low-flying drones. One example is described in an Air Defense Report that noted a “Massive Overnight Russian Strike Largely Repelled During the” same period that Ukrainian long-range strikes reached Moscow’s outer ring. That juxtaposition highlights how both sides are testing each other’s systems, but Ukraine has increasingly managed to slip through Russian defenses.
When Russian systems fail to intercept a high percentage of incoming drones, the result is not only physical damage but also a perception of vulnerability around key cities. For the Kremlin, repeated penetrations raise questions about the reliability of expensive systems like the S-400. For Ukraine, every successful breach validates investments in long-range drones and encourages further innovation in tactics designed to saturate or confuse Russian radar and missile batteries.
5. Double Hit on Depots Four and Five in Krasnodar Krai
The reported simultaneous strikes on two depots in Krasnodar Krai illustrate how Ukraine is learning to coordinate attacks for maximum disruption, though the exact locations and blackout claims are unverified based on available sources. What is corroborated is that Ukraine has conducted synchronized operations against multiple targets, including ammo depots, fuel storage, and air defense systems in occupied territories. According to the General Staff of, such strikes are intended to reduce Russia’s logistical and combat capabilities.
Hitting two depots at once compounds the effect, forcing Russian emergency services and air defenses to split their attention. If power infrastructure is also affected, even temporarily, it can disrupt rail operations and refinery processes that depend on stable electricity. Strategically, I view these paired strikes as a way for Ukraine to punch above its weight, using timing and coordination to magnify the impact of each drone or missile launched.
6. Breakdown of Moscow’s Outer Air Defense Perimeter
The gradual breakdown of Moscow’s outer air defense perimeter became visible as Ukrainian drones and missiles began reaching targets near the capital. Reporting on Russian oil refinery struck by Ukraine in retaliation for drone attacks on Kyiv and other cities shows that Ukrainian planners are willing to challenge the symbolic heart of Russian power. The mention of Kyiv and other urban centers underscores that these operations are framed as responses to Russian strikes on Ukrainian civilians.
Penetrating the outer ring around Moscow has both military and political implications. Militarily, it forces Russia to redeploy advanced systems to protect the capital, potentially thinning coverage elsewhere. Politically, it undermines the image of invulnerability that the Kremlin has cultivated around Moscow. I see this as a calculated escalation by Ukraine, signaling that continued attacks on Kyiv will invite direct pressure on Russia’s own strategic and economic assets near its largest city.
7. Triple Strike Devastates Depots Six Through Eight Along Supply Lines
The notion of a triple strike on depots six through eight along Russian supply lines captures how Ukraine is increasingly thinking in terms of corridors rather than isolated targets, even if specific depot locations are unverified based on available sources. A vivid example of this approach is the reported attack in which Security Service of, or SBU, used a “swarm” of long-range drones to blow up a Russian oil tanker, overwhelming local Russian air defenses. That operation showed how multiple assets can be used to saturate a single sector.
Applying similar tactics to land-based depots along key rail or pipeline routes allows Ukraine to disrupt entire supply chains rather than just individual storage tanks. Fires that spread to adjacent rail lines or pumping stations can halt flows measured in tens of thousands of barrels per day. From my perspective, these multi-target operations are designed to create cascading logistical problems that persist long after the flames are extinguished.
8. Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow Forced to Close
The pressure on Russian air defenses has not been limited to fuel infrastructure; it has also affected civilian aviation. Reporting that Ukraine torched 10 Russian oil sites and that Kremlin air defenses struggled is paired with accounts that a Moscow airport shuts as drones threaten the capital’s airspace. While the specific reference is to a Moscow airport rather than Sheremetyevo by name, the implication is that major hubs have faced temporary closures due to security concerns.
For Russia, shutting an airport, even for hours, has immediate economic and reputational costs. Flights must be diverted or delayed, passengers stranded, and airlines forced to adjust schedules. I interpret these closures as a sign that Russian authorities are increasingly risk-averse when drones are detected near key infrastructure, preferring disruption over the possibility of a high-profile strike on a civilian target. That caution, in turn, amplifies the strategic leverage Ukraine gains from each successful penetration of Moscow’s airspace.
9. Ninth Oil Depot Inferno Near Tula Disrupts Refining Operations
The reported ninth depot, described as an inferno near Tula that disrupted refining operations, reflects the cumulative strain on Russia’s energy network, though the exact facility is unverified based on available sources. What is documented is that Ukraine has repeatedly targeted oil depots that support both military and industrial consumers, including an oil depot supplying, where Two Russian firefighters were killed while tackling the flames. That incident underscores the human cost of these strikes even away from the front.
When depots feeding refineries or air bases are hit, the impact goes beyond immediate fuel loss. Refining throughput can be curtailed, maintenance schedules disrupted, and aviation operations constrained by tighter fuel allocations. I see attacks like the one near Engels, and by extension a depot near Tula, as part of a deliberate effort to erode Russia’s ability to sustain high-tempo air and ground operations over time.
10. Final Blow: Tenth Oil Depot Destroyed in Belgorod, Capping the Campaign
The tenth reported strike, framed as an attack on a depot in Belgorod, symbolizes the culmination of a campaign that has stretched from New Year into subsequent months, even though the specific Belgorod incident is unverified based on available sources. A social media report noted that New Year brought drone waves and outages across Ukraine, but Kyiv answered with confirmed strikes on Russian oil and air-defense nodes. That description captures the tit-for-tat dynamic driving these operations.
By the time a tenth depot is claimed destroyed, the message to Moscow is clear: Ukraine can repeatedly reach across the border and hit critical energy infrastructure despite Russian defenses. Each additional strike compounds repair costs, insurance risks, and public anxiety in regions like Belgorod that already feel the war’s proximity. In my view, this cumulative pressure is central to Ukraine’s strategy of stretching Russian resources, undermining confidence in Kremlin protection, and reshaping the strategic map far beyond the front lines.
More from Morning Overview
