Ukraine targets Russian oil infrastructure to undermine financial stability
In recent months, Ukrainians have intensified their operations against Russian oil infrastructure, a key financial foundation of Russia. Here's an overview of the methods Ukrainians are employing.
So far, Ukrainians have targeted over 13 oil refining companies, with recent attacks focusing on facilities in the Samara region, roughly 900 kilometres away from the front line.
These attacks have been highly effective, particularly as Russia, hampered by sanctions, finds it challenging to repair damaged equipment with foreign components. There have been discussions about plans to procure anti-aircraft systems from North Korea to safeguard critical infrastructure.
Here's what the Ukrainians are attacking with
Although Ukraine has access to advanced systems, such as the Storm Shadow cruise missiles and the MGM-140 ATACMS ballistic missiles, with ranges of several hundred kilometres, they are restricted from using these to strike targets within Russia.
Contouring this limitation, Ukraine employs a variety of drones capable of reaching targets more than 1,000 kilometres away. Additionally, sabotage groups operating within Russian territory utilise drones with a shorter range. Notably, drones constructed from cardboard are easily smuggled deep into Russia.
The first category of drones includes ones that can fly hundreds of miles and have been used in attacks around Moscow. These employ a relatively straightforward navigation system, assisted by GPS. The inertial navigation calculates the drone's position based on average speed and flight time but lacks precision, thus the need for satellite assistance, which is not foolproof due to potential signal interference or loss.
These drones are powered by either hobbyist engines or occasionally a jet engine, carrying explosive charges ranging from several to dozens of pounds. Though not optimal for military tasks, they prove effective against large, stationary civilian targets like refineries.
Among the Ukrainian arsenal are drones like Rubaka with a range of approximately 500 kilometres, Bobr with a range double that, and UJ-22 "Airborne" capable of reaching up to 800 kilometres, as reported by Virtual Poland's journalist Karolina Modzelewska. Also, Ukraine has repurposed Soviet-era Tu-141 "Striż" drones with a range of up to 1,500 kilometres, modified to carry up to 150 kilograms of explosives.
This variety of tools enables Ukraine to strike deep within Russian territory, exploiting the insufficient number of Russian air defense and anti-drone systems. Hence, attacks on vital infrastructure necessitate the reallocation of some defense systems from the front lines to more secure areas, creating new strategic opportunities for the Ukrainians.
