Ukraine strikes Russian oil facilities in Caspian Sea again, SBU source says
Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) struck Russia's Vladimir Filanovsky oil production platform in the Caspian Sea for the second time this week, an SBU source said Dec. 12.
Long-range drones operated by the SBU's Alpha special operations unit hit the Filanovsky platform and nearby Korchagin platform, the source told the Kyiv Independent on condition of anonymity.
Both of the impacted facilities are operated by oil giant Lukoil in Russia's sector of the Caspian Sea.
Preliminary information indicates the drone strikes damaged critical equipment on the ice-resistant platforms, forcing a suspension of production operations, the source said.
"The SBU continues its systematic work aimed at reducing revenues to the Russian budget from the oil and gas sector," the source said. "The frequency, geography, and accuracy of the strikes are a signal to the Russian Federation that as long as its aggression continues — all Russian facilities supporting the war will burn."
The Filanovsky oil field is one of Russia's largest explored fields, with estimated reserves of 129 million tons of oil and 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas.
Ukrainian forces struck the Filanovsky platform a day earlier, on Dec. 11, halting oil and gas production from more than 20 wells. Ukraine has increasingly used long-range drones to target military and industrial facilities inside Russia that support the Kremlin's war effort.
