Another Mass Ukrainian Drone Attack Triggers Fires At Oil & Gas Facilities In Southern Russia

Ukraine launched another large-scale drone attack on Russian territory overnight targeting oil refineries and infrastructure. Russia’s defense ministry confirmed the widespread nature of the attack, saying it shot down over 70 of the inbound drones.

Drones reportedly struck an oil refinery Russia’s southern Volgograd region as part of the larger attack. Infrastructure in the southern Astrakhan region was also targeted, including gas facilities.

The damaged refinery in Volgograd appears to belong to Russian oil giant Lukoil. This marks the third oil refinery hit by Ukrainian drones within a little over a week. Such large-scale attacks seem to now be coming at a weekly pace.

Falling drone debris over the Volgograd region has resulted in local fires, and the whole attack has disrupted commercial flights over the impacted regions.

“The air defence forces of the defence ministry repelled a massive attack by aircraft-type drones on the territory of the Volgograd region,” Volgograd Governor Andrei Bocharov said.

Russia’s defense ministry said of the scope that 27 drones were downed over the Rostov Region, 25 over Volgograd, seven over the Astrakhan, five over the Voronezh Region, four over the Belgorod Region, and two over Kursk.

A number of regional airports had flight restrictions imposed, including airports in Astrakhan, Volgograd, Kazan, Nizhnekamsk, Saratov and Ulyanovsk, the press service of Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency indicated. However, all air traffic later resumed as normal. The airports of Vladikavkaz, Grozny and Makhachkala left restrictions in place longer.

The Ukrainian attacks and the resulting damage to Russian refineries have reduced Russia’s capability to process crude, also amid constant major emergency repairs and maintenance.

This trend has been on since early last year. As it became clear that battlefield success in the eastern frontlines would remain elusive, Kiev has replaced its waning reliance on artillery with cheap suicide drones targeting the Russian oil export machine deep within Russian territory, as a way to wage economic and psychological warfare on the Kremlin.

Large-scale drone attack on Russia

Overnight, 70 drones were shot down over Russia. Nine airports temporarily restricted operations.

As a result of the large-scale attack on Volgograd, “localized fires” started in the city not on the territory of an oil depot, the region’s… pic.twitter.com/kWfvQKzMRQ

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) February 3, 2025

The constant mass drone attacks have done nothing to alter Russia’s advances in Ukraine’s east, but Kiev hopes to put a dent in Russia’s war machine by setting back its crucial oil and energy-based revenue. 

Ukraine has also hoped to grab the attention of its Western backers with these attacks, signaling NATO that it can escalate against Russia if it chooses to.