Ukrainian Defense Forces Intensify Strikes on Russian Oil Infrastructure, Eight Attacks Recorded

Over the past two weeks, beginning on the night of March 23, the Ukrainian Defense Forces have intensified a campaign of long-range strikes against Russian oil infrastructure. This information has been confirmed by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), which has provided initial assessments of this campaign.

In their report, ISW analysts note that during this series of long-range strikes, Ukraine has attacked at least eight distinct facilities within the Russian oil industry and defense sector over the span of two weeks. Among the targets of the Ukrainian strikes were oil terminals in Ust-Luga and Primorsk (Leningrad Oblast), as well as oil refineries in Kstovo (Nizhny Novgorod Oblast), Kirishi (Leningrad Oblast), Yaroslavl (Yaroslavl Oblast), Ufa (Republic of Bashkortostan), and defense factories in Tolyatti and Chapayevsk (Samara Oblast).

These facilities were marked on an ISW map, which illustrates the scale of the attacks. Experts emphasize that the targets of the Ukrainian strikes are spread over a distance of more than 1,700 kilometers, from Primorsk and Ust-Luga to Ufa. Some of these sites have been struck multiple times during the specified period. For instance, the strike on Primorsk on the night of April 5 marked the third attack on this port in the last two weeks, following previous strikes that occurred on the nights of March 23 and March 27.

ISW highlights that Ukrainian forces have focused their efforts on Russian ports and oil infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, which are critically important for the export of Russian oil. Analysts from the Institute for the Study of War believe that the geographical dispersion of the impacted sites and their large sizes have likely complicated the task of Russian air defense in protecting these vital facilities.

Notably, one of Ukraine's recent achievements was the strike on the night of April 5 against the Lukoil-Nizhnegorodnefteorgsintez refinery in Kstovo, which resulted in a fire. This refinery is located approximately 1,000 kilometers from Primorsk, which also came under attack that same night. Footage with confirmed geolocation, published on April 5, captured attempts by Russian air defense systems to thwart the strike on the Kstovo refinery. However, data from NASA's FIRMS, which tracks thermal anomalies, indicated probable fires at the Kstovo refinery around 2:00 AM local time on April 5.

ISW also notes that Russian 'war correspondents' have largely reacted 'cautiously' to the recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries, acknowledging the damage these attacks have inflicted on the export capabilities of Russia's oil industry. They also recognized that restoring damaged facilities would require significant costs and time. One of the 'war correspondents' suggested that Ukrainian forces are using daytime drone strikes on border areas of Russia to deplete Russian ammunition for air defense systems before deploying long-range drones at low altitudes for nighttime attacks.

Analysts at ISW believe that Russian 'war correspondents' may have refrained from direct criticism of the Kremlin due to increased censorship on Telegram from Russian authorities in recent weeks. This comes amid previous criticisms of the battlefield situation for the occupiers expressed by other prominent 'war correspondents.' Earlier, Russian pro-war public channels complained about the failures of Russian air defense and the inability of Russia to repair damaged facilities due to sanctions on the supply of necessary spare parts.