Editor's note: The article was expanded with comments by Andrii Kovalenko, head of the counter-disinformation department at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council.
Ukrainian drones attacked an oil refinery owned by Lukoil, one of Russia's largest oil producers, in Volgograd Oblast overnight on Jan. 31, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported.
Flashes and explosions were recorded near the plant, though the extent of the damage is still being assessed, the military said, adding it was "one of the 10 largest oil refineries in Russia in terms of design capacity."
"The refinery produces gasoline, diesel fuel, fuel oil, and aviation fuel," Andrii Kovalenko, head of the counter-disinformation department at Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, later said.
Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian energy infrastructure, including oil refineries and fuel depots, to disrupt supplies to Russian forces. The strikes are part of a broader strategy to weaken Russia's military logistics and economic resilience amid the ongoing war.
In particular, Kyiv has stepped up long-range attacks this winter. Recent drone strikes hit a refinery in Ryazan, a distillery in Tambov Oblast, and a chemical plant in Bryansk. The Ryazan Oil Refinery, one of Russia's largest, later suspended operations due to the damage.
The Lukoil refinery in Volgograd Oblast lies around 500 kilometers (300 miles) from the front line in Ukraine, and was targeted in a joint operation of the Unmanned Systems Forces and Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR).
It has been targeted multiple times during the war, including in February, July, and September 2023.
Russia's Defense Ministry earlier claimed its air defenses shot down 49 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 25 in Rostov Oblast, eight in Volgograd Oblast, six in Kursk Oblast, and four in Yaroslav Oblast.
Two drones each were reportedly destroyed over Krasnodar Krai, Voronezh, and Belgorod oblasts.
Martin Fornusek
(Updated: )
