Ukraine has struck Russian oil refineries over 150 times since start of war, media reports

Ukraine's military has struck Russian oil refineries 158 times since the start of Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine, according to data compiled by the Poland-based media outlet Vot Tak.

The findings, published on May 21, come as Kyiv continues to increase the frequency of strikes against Russian oil facilities in an effort to diminish Moscow's capacity to continue waging its war. Kyiv considers energy facilities to be valid military targets, as the energy sites provide fuel and funding for the Kremlin's war machine.

According to Vot Tak, Ukraine's military, through a combination of missile and drone attacks launched throughout the full-scale war, has struck at least 24 of Russia's 33 oil refineries that are capable of processing over 1 million tons of oil per year. The figures include all major refineries located within the European part of Russia.

The Kyiv Independent cannot immediately confirm the report.

The latest figures come following a string of Ukrainian attacks on refineries in recent days. President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed Ukrainian forces attacked Rosneft's Syzran Oil Refinery overnight on May 21. A day earlier, Ukraine struck one of Russia's largest oil refineries near the town of Kstovo, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Ukraine's General Staff said — marking the second reported hit on the site within a week.

Vot Tak noted that the attack on the Syzran Oil Refinery marked the 11th such instance, behind Ryazan and Saratov oil refineries which have been both struck on 15 different occasions.

Ukraine first began conducting regular strikes on Russian oil refineries in 2023, with strikes growing in both magnitude and frequency since. In the first five months of 2026, Kyiv has recorded 32 strikes, nearly surpassing the total number of refinery strikes recorded in 2024 at 34, the outlet noted.

One of Ukraine's most notable strikes on a refinery came on May 17 when drones struck the Moscow Oil Refinery in a large-scale attack on the Russian capital. The attack forced the refinery to temporarily halt its processing operations, Reuters reported.

According to data compiled by Bloomberg, Ukraine's strikes on Russian oil infrastructure reached a four-month high in April, with at least 21 attacks on refineries, pipelines, and oil assets at sea recorded.