Ukrainian drone attacks 'neutralized' 55% of Russia's oil refining capacity, Zelensky says
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Ukrainian forces took 55% of Russia's oil refinery capacity offline, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in an evening address on Nov. 15.
The president's statement comes as Ukrainian long-range drones continue to target Russian oil production sites that help power its armed forces, and as Russian strikes continue to pummel Ukraine's energy infrastructure.
"In total, we have already neutralized more than 55% of Russia’s oil refining capacity," Zelensky said, citing a report by Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi. "This is a fitting response to Russia’s refusal to de-escalate and to their strikes against our energy infrastructure."
Over the past week alone, Ukrainian long-range drones attacked a key oil facility in Russia’s Samara Oblast, a major oil refinery in the Russian city of Volgograd, and Russia’s largest oil refinery located 2,500 kilometers (1,550 miles) from Ukraine's border.
Addressing Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy sites, Zelensky warned of threats posed by Russian ballistic missiles and called for increased foreign assistance as another cold winter looms.
"The Russians have adopted a tactic of singling out a specific region and concentrating their strikes on it—targeting power grids and substations—over the course of several days," Zelensky said. "It is crucial that people receive the necessary assistance and that energy supplies return to predictable schedules."
Zelensky said that since September, Russian forces have increased attacks on energy infrastructure in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia and the Dnipro Oblasts. The Dnipro Oblast experienced the most strikes, with 131 in total, Zelensky said.
During overnight attacks on Nov. 10-11, Russia struck six major power substations in four Ukrainian oblasts, damaging power lines and disrupting electricity supplies across the country. On Nov. 9, Russian forces struck the Trypillia Thermal Power Plant (TPP) in the Kyiv region. The facility was previously severely damaged in a 2024 attack.
Amid energy crises around the country, restrictions on the speed of Starshield, the militarized version of Starlink, continue to prevent Ukrainian interceptor drones from taking down Russian jet-powered drones.
In his address, Zelensky said that the European Commission will help supply Ukraine with emergency energy support, including generators and financial resources.
"This will be a strong signal—a signal to Russia that Ukraine will not be left without support," Zelensky said. "Regarding our priorities: we and our partners need to focus on missiles for Patriot and NASAMS systems."
Following trilateral peace talks between Russia, Ukraine, and the U.S. on Nov. 10-11, Zelensky said that Kyiv will look to collaborate further with European allies in upcoming meetings.
"We have the opportunity to define a robust, unified European stance—one that is 100% geared toward victory," Zelensky said. "The Ukraine-U.S.-Russia dynamic must evolve—not just into a quadrilateral format, but into something significantly stronger."
