{"id":1188,"date":"2026-05-29T01:29:24","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T01:29:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/?p=1188"},"modified":"2026-05-29T01:29:24","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T01:29:24","slug":"ukraines-drones-are-actually-destroying-the-russian-oil-income","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/ukraines-drones-are-actually-destroying-the-russian-oil-income\/","title":{"rendered":"UKRAINE&#8217;S DRONES ARE ACTUALLY DESTROYING THE RUSSIAN OIL INCOME"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"article-image-slot image-slot-placeholder\" data-is-first=\"true\" data-height=\"720\" data-doc-id=\"cms\/api\/amp\/image\/AA1FMtzn\">\n<div class=\"article-image-slot\">\n<div class=\"article-image-container polished\" data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;OpenModal&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;b&quot;:8,&quot;c.i&quot;:&quot;AA24ip5V&quot;,&quot;c.l&quot;:false,&quot;c.t&quot;:13,&quot;c.v&quot;:&quot;news&quot;,&quot;c.c&quot;:&quot;newsworld&quot;,&quot;c.b&quot;:&quot;National Security Journal&quot;,&quot;c.bi&quot;:&quot;AA1BA4Xu&quot;,&quot;c.tv&quot;:&quot;finance&quot;,&quot;c.tc&quot;:&quot;general&quot;,&quot;c.hl&quot;:&quot;It\u2019s official: Ukrainian drones have now hit 24 of Russia\u2019s 33 major oil refineries and Putin lost billions&quot;}\" data-test-id=\"AA1FMtzn\">\n<div><\/div>\n<p><button class=\"article-image-height-wrapper expandable article-image-height-wrapper-new\" data-customhandled=\"true\" data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;OpenModalButton&quot;,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:1,&quot;c.i&quot;:&quot;AA24ip5V&quot;,&quot;c.l&quot;:false,&quot;c.t&quot;:13,&quot;c.v&quot;:&quot;news&quot;,&quot;c.c&quot;:&quot;newsworld&quot;,&quot;c.b&quot;:&quot;National Security Journal&quot;,&quot;c.bi&quot;:&quot;AA1BA4Xu&quot;,&quot;c.tv&quot;:&quot;finance&quot;,&quot;c.tc&quot;:&quot;general&quot;,&quot;c.hl&quot;:&quot;It\u2019s official: Ukrainian drones have now hit 24 of Russia\u2019s 33 major oil refineries and Putin lost billions&quot;}\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"article-image article-image-ux-impr article-image-new expandable\" title=\"Drones\" src=\"https:\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/AA1FMtzn.img?w=534&amp;h=300&amp;m=6\" alt=\"Drones\" \/><\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-caption-container image-caption-container-ux-impr articlewc-image-caption-container\"><span class=\"image-caption\">Drones<\/span><span class=\"image-attribution image-attribution-ux-impr\">\u00a9\u00a0Switchblade Drone. Image Credit: Industry Handout.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\"><strong>Summary and Key Points:<\/strong>\u00a0Ukrainian long-range drones have struck 24 of Russia&#8217;s 33 major oil refineries since 2022, knocking out roughly a quarter of national fuel production and a third of gasoline output.<\/p>\n<p data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\">-Total damage to Russian oil infrastructure now exceeds $13 billion.<\/p>\n<div class=\"intra-article-module\" data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;intraArticle&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13}\">\n<div class=\"articlePageIntraArticleFullWidth ad-slot-placeholder left-image-intra-ad full-bleed-image-intra-ad intra-ad-rm-bg intra-ad-rm-h\" data-ad-index=\"0\">\n<div class=\"left-image-intra-ad full-bleed-image-intra-ad intra-article-display-ad\">\n<div class=\"displayAdContainer\">\n<div id=\"rectangle4_d2ece90396954918d0e8befae76ff683\" class=\"displayAdWCContainer     \" data-ad=\"&quot;v&quot;:1,&quot;d&quot;:1,&quot;r&quot;:1,&quot;s&quot;:undefined}\" data-anadid=\"741730417\">\n<div id=\"div_utif_rectangle4_d2ece90396954918d0e8befae76ff683\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a class=\"adSlug adChoicesOutside adSlugDisabled\" tabindex=\"-1\"><span class=\"adChoicesSpan\">Sponsored<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-image-slot image-slot-placeholder\" data-height=\"720\" data-doc-id=\"cms\/api\/amp\/image\/AA1FPB3N\">\n<div class=\"article-image-slot\">\n<div class=\"article-image-container polished\" data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;OpenModal&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;b&quot;:8,&quot;c.i&quot;:&quot;AA24ip5V&quot;,&quot;c.l&quot;:false,&quot;c.t&quot;:13,&quot;c.v&quot;:&quot;news&quot;,&quot;c.c&quot;:&quot;newsworld&quot;,&quot;c.b&quot;:&quot;National Security Journal&quot;,&quot;c.bi&quot;:&quot;AA1BA4Xu&quot;,&quot;c.tv&quot;:&quot;finance&quot;,&quot;c.tc&quot;:&quot;general&quot;,&quot;c.hl&quot;:&quot;It\u2019s official: Ukrainian drones have now hit 24 of Russia\u2019s 33 major oil refineries and Putin lost billions&quot;}\" data-test-id=\"AA1FPB3N\">\n<div><\/div>\n<p><button class=\"article-image-height-wrapper expandable article-image-height-wrapper-new\" data-customhandled=\"true\" data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;OpenModalButton&quot;,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:1,&quot;c.i&quot;:&quot;AA24ip5V&quot;,&quot;c.l&quot;:false,&quot;c.t&quot;:13,&quot;c.v&quot;:&quot;news&quot;,&quot;c.c&quot;:&quot;newsworld&quot;,&quot;c.b&quot;:&quot;National Security Journal&quot;,&quot;c.bi&quot;:&quot;AA1BA4Xu&quot;,&quot;c.tv&quot;:&quot;finance&quot;,&quot;c.tc&quot;:&quot;general&quot;,&quot;c.hl&quot;:&quot;It\u2019s official: Ukrainian drones have now hit 24 of Russia\u2019s 33 major oil refineries and Putin lost billions&quot;}\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"article-image article-image-ux-impr article-image-new expandable\" title=\"Ukraine Switchblade Drone. Image Credit: Creative Commons.\" src=\"https:\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/AA1FPB3N.img?w=534&amp;h=300&amp;m=6\" alt=\"Ukraine Switchblade Drone. Image Credit: Creative Commons.\" \/><\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-caption-container image-caption-container-ux-impr articlewc-image-caption-container\"><span class=\"image-caption\">Ukraine Switchblade Drone. Image Credit: Creative Commons.<\/span><span class=\"image-attribution image-attribution-ux-impr\">\u00a9\u00a0Ukraine Switchblade Drone. Image Credit: Creative Commons.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\">-Ukraine has also destroyed up to 300 Russian air defense units a month, opening the way for deeper strikes \u2014 including a 600-drone assault on Moscow in mid-May and a first-time airport closure in Kaliningrad.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"article-sub-heading\"><strong>Ukraine Is Making Russia&#8217;s Oil Industries Pay\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\">Ukraine\u2019s escalating long-range drone and missile strikes have increasingly crippled\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/nationalsecurityjournal.org\/how-world-war-iii-starts-putin-gets-so-frustrated-over-the-ukraine-war-he-attacks-the-baltics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;destination&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:1,&quot;c.t&quot;:7}\">Russia\u2019s economic and logistical foundations<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"continue-read-break\" data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\">Kyiv has systematically targeted Russia&#8217;s oil infrastructure, supply chains, and military-industrial sites.<\/p>\n<p data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\">Ukrainian long-range drone strikes have disabled nearly all processing facilities in Central Russia, knocking out 25 percent of the country&#8217;s fuel production capacity.<\/p>\n<p data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\">With nearly a third of gasoline and a quarter of diesel output impacted, the strikes aim to cripple <a href=\"https:\/\/nationalsecurityjournal.org\/russias-economy-didnt-collapse-over-the-ukraine-war-but-ordinary-russians-are-quietly-going-broke\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;destination&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:1,&quot;c.t&quot;:7}\">Moscow&#8217;s war economy<\/a>\u00a0and restrict battlefield logistics.<\/p>\n<p data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\">This is changing the entire\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/nationalsecurityjournal.org\/putin-isnt-holding-back-anymore-the-ukraine-war-is-about-to-get-a-lot-worse\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;destination&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:1,&quot;c.t&quot;:7}\">outlook of the war<\/a>, as the tide has turned toward a possible\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/nationalsecurityjournal.org\/russias-victory-in-pokrovsk-in-ukraine-war-would-come-at-the-highest-of-costs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;destination&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:1,&quot;c.t&quot;:7}\">Ukrainian victory<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-image-slot image-slot-placeholder\" data-height=\"675\" data-doc-id=\"cms\/api\/amp\/image\/AA1IMZG4\">\n<div class=\"article-image-slot\">\n<div class=\"article-image-container polished\" data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;OpenModal&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;b&quot;:8,&quot;c.i&quot;:&quot;AA24ip5V&quot;,&quot;c.l&quot;:false,&quot;c.t&quot;:13,&quot;c.v&quot;:&quot;news&quot;,&quot;c.c&quot;:&quot;newsworld&quot;,&quot;c.b&quot;:&quot;National Security Journal&quot;,&quot;c.bi&quot;:&quot;AA1BA4Xu&quot;,&quot;c.tv&quot;:&quot;finance&quot;,&quot;c.tc&quot;:&quot;general&quot;,&quot;c.hl&quot;:&quot;It\u2019s official: Ukrainian drones have now hit 24 of Russia\u2019s 33 major oil refineries and Putin lost billions&quot;}\" data-test-id=\"AA1IMZG4\">\n<div><\/div>\n<p><button class=\"article-image-height-wrapper expandable article-image-height-wrapper-new\" data-customhandled=\"true\" data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;OpenModalButton&quot;,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:1,&quot;c.i&quot;:&quot;AA24ip5V&quot;,&quot;c.l&quot;:false,&quot;c.t&quot;:13,&quot;c.v&quot;:&quot;news&quot;,&quot;c.c&quot;:&quot;newsworld&quot;,&quot;c.b&quot;:&quot;National Security Journal&quot;,&quot;c.bi&quot;:&quot;AA1BA4Xu&quot;,&quot;c.tv&quot;:&quot;finance&quot;,&quot;c.tc&quot;:&quot;general&quot;,&quot;c.hl&quot;:&quot;It\u2019s official: Ukrainian drones have now hit 24 of Russia\u2019s 33 major oil refineries and Putin lost billions&quot;}\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"article-image article-image-ux-impr article-image-new expandable\" title=\"S-70 Drone VIA X Screenshot. Image Credit: X Screenshot.\" src=\"https:\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/AA1IMZG4.img?w=534&amp;h=300&amp;m=6\" alt=\"S-70 Drone VIA X Screenshot. Image Credit: X Screenshot.\" \/><\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-caption-container image-caption-container-ux-impr articlewc-image-caption-container\"><span class=\"image-caption\">S-70 Drone VIA X Screenshot. Image Credit: X Screenshot.<\/span><span class=\"image-attribution image-attribution-ux-impr\">\u00a9\u00a0S-70 Drone VIA X Screenshot. Image Credit: X Screenshot.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"article-sub-heading\">Ukrainian Drones Have Hit 24 Of Russia\u2019s Major Oil Refineries<\/h2>\n<p data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\">Since the Russians invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the Ukrainians have conducted at least 158 strikes against\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/nationalsecurityjournal.org\/trump-could-invade-irans-coastline-near-the-strait-of-hormuz-oil-and-gas-still-wont-flow-thanks-to-long-range-drone-strikes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;destination&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:1,&quot;c.t&quot;:7}\">Russian oil refineries<\/a>. And those strikes have been conducted against 24 of 33 major Russian refineries.<\/p>\n<p data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\">Those attacks have intensified in the past year. Up to this point in 2026, Ukrainian drone strikes against oil facilities have already surpassed all of 2024.<\/p>\n<div class=\"intra-article-module\" data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;intraArticle&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13}\">\n<div class=\"articlePageIntraArticleFullWidth ad-slot-placeholder left-image-intra-ad full-bleed-image-intra-ad intra-ad-rm-bg intra-ad-rm-h\" data-ad-index=\"1\">\n<div class=\"left-image-intra-ad full-bleed-image-intra-ad intra-article-display-ad\">\n<div class=\"displayAdContainer\">\n<div id=\"rectangle4_9c14f59b65b94ea9d40d1958531d976d\" class=\"displayAdWCContainer     \" data-ad=\"&quot;v&quot;:1,&quot;d&quot;:1,&quot;r&quot;:1,&quot;s&quot;:undefined}\" data-anadid=\"741945167\">\n<div id=\"div_utif_rectangle4_9c14f59b65b94ea9d40d1958531d976d\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a class=\"adSlug adChoicesOutside adSlugDisabled\" tabindex=\"-1\"><span class=\"adChoicesSpan\">Sponsored<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\">Evgeny Borovikov, deputy CEO of the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.themoscowtimes.com\/2026\/02\/09\/ukrainian-strikes-cost-russian-oil-sector-over-13bln-in-2025-insurers-say-a91894\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;destination&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:1,&quot;c.t&quot;:7}\">\u00a0Russian insurance broker Mains<\/a>, said that direct damage to oil and gas infrastructure from drone attacks exceeded 100 billion rubles (around $1.1 billion).<\/p>\n<p data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\">He added that when other economic effects are taken into account\u2014including lost production and secondary disruptions\u2014the total impact rises above 1 trillion rubles (approximately $13 billion).<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-image-slot image-slot-placeholder\" data-height=\"720\" data-doc-id=\"cms\/api\/amp\/image\/AA1Gaf1h\">\n<div class=\"article-image-slot\">\n<div class=\"article-image-container polished\" data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;OpenModal&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;b&quot;:8,&quot;c.i&quot;:&quot;AA24ip5V&quot;,&quot;c.l&quot;:false,&quot;c.t&quot;:13,&quot;c.v&quot;:&quot;news&quot;,&quot;c.c&quot;:&quot;newsworld&quot;,&quot;c.b&quot;:&quot;National Security Journal&quot;,&quot;c.bi&quot;:&quot;AA1BA4Xu&quot;,&quot;c.tv&quot;:&quot;finance&quot;,&quot;c.tc&quot;:&quot;general&quot;,&quot;c.hl&quot;:&quot;It\u2019s official: Ukrainian drones have now hit 24 of Russia\u2019s 33 major oil refineries and Putin lost billions&quot;}\" data-test-id=\"AA1Gaf1h\">\n<div><\/div>\n<p><button class=\"article-image-height-wrapper expandable article-image-height-wrapper-new\" data-customhandled=\"true\" data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;OpenModalButton&quot;,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:1,&quot;c.i&quot;:&quot;AA24ip5V&quot;,&quot;c.l&quot;:false,&quot;c.t&quot;:13,&quot;c.v&quot;:&quot;news&quot;,&quot;c.c&quot;:&quot;newsworld&quot;,&quot;c.b&quot;:&quot;National Security Journal&quot;,&quot;c.bi&quot;:&quot;AA1BA4Xu&quot;,&quot;c.tv&quot;:&quot;finance&quot;,&quot;c.tc&quot;:&quot;general&quot;,&quot;c.hl&quot;:&quot;It\u2019s official: Ukrainian drones have now hit 24 of Russia\u2019s 33 major oil refineries and Putin lost billions&quot;}\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"article-image article-image-ux-impr article-image-new expandable\" title=\"Lancet Drone. Image Credit: Russian State Media.\" src=\"https:\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/AA1Gaf1h.img?w=534&amp;h=300&amp;m=6\" alt=\"Lancet Drone. Image Credit: Russian State Media.\" \/><\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-caption-container image-caption-container-ux-impr articlewc-image-caption-container\"><span class=\"image-caption\">Lancet Drone. Image Credit: Russian State Media.<\/span><span class=\"image-attribution image-attribution-ux-impr\">\u00a9\u00a0Lancet Drone. Image Credit: Russian State Media.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-image-slot image-slot-placeholder\" data-height=\"720\" data-doc-id=\"cms\/api\/amp\/image\/AA1G9Eg7\">\n<div class=\"article-image-slot\">\n<div class=\"article-image-container polished\" data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;OpenModal&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;b&quot;:8,&quot;c.i&quot;:&quot;AA24ip5V&quot;,&quot;c.l&quot;:false,&quot;c.t&quot;:13,&quot;c.v&quot;:&quot;news&quot;,&quot;c.c&quot;:&quot;newsworld&quot;,&quot;c.b&quot;:&quot;National Security Journal&quot;,&quot;c.bi&quot;:&quot;AA1BA4Xu&quot;,&quot;c.tv&quot;:&quot;finance&quot;,&quot;c.tc&quot;:&quot;general&quot;,&quot;c.hl&quot;:&quot;It\u2019s official: Ukrainian drones have now hit 24 of Russia\u2019s 33 major oil refineries and Putin lost billions&quot;}\" data-test-id=\"AA1G9Eg7\">\n<div><\/div>\n<p><button class=\"article-image-height-wrapper expandable article-image-height-wrapper-new\" data-customhandled=\"true\" data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;OpenModalButton&quot;,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:1,&quot;c.i&quot;:&quot;AA24ip5V&quot;,&quot;c.l&quot;:false,&quot;c.t&quot;:13,&quot;c.v&quot;:&quot;news&quot;,&quot;c.c&quot;:&quot;newsworld&quot;,&quot;c.b&quot;:&quot;National Security Journal&quot;,&quot;c.bi&quot;:&quot;AA1BA4Xu&quot;,&quot;c.tv&quot;:&quot;finance&quot;,&quot;c.tc&quot;:&quot;general&quot;,&quot;c.hl&quot;:&quot;It\u2019s official: Ukrainian drones have now hit 24 of Russia\u2019s 33 major oil refineries and Putin lost billions&quot;}\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"article-image article-image-ux-impr article-image-new expandable\" title=\"Lancet Drone from Russia. Image Credit: Creative Commons.\" src=\"https:\/\/img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net\/tenant\/amp\/entityid\/AA1G9Eg7.img?w=534&amp;h=300&amp;m=6\" alt=\"Lancet Drone from Russia. Image Credit: Creative Commons.\" \/><\/button><\/p>\n<div class=\"image-caption-container image-caption-container-ux-impr articlewc-image-caption-container\"><span class=\"image-caption\">Lancet Drone from Russia. Image Credit: Creative Commons.<\/span><span class=\"image-attribution image-attribution-ux-impr\">\u00a9\u00a0Lancet Drone from Russia. Image Credit: Creative Commons.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\">Russia\u2019s economy relies on oil and gas taxes for 25 percent of its budget. It is already stretched tight, and this loss of revenue will stretch it to the breaking point.<\/p>\n<p data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\">Ukrainian drone attacks continue to target Moscow\u2019s oil production facilities, effectively shutting down the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/energy\/russias-syzran-oil-refinery-halted-by-may-21-drone-attack-sources-say-2026-05-25\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;destination&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:1,&quot;c.t&quot;:7}\">\u00a0Syzran Oil Refinery,<\/a>\u00a0which refines about 170,000 barrels a day. Six of Russia\u2019s ten oil refineries were forced to shut down production, at least for a short time.<\/p>\n<div class=\"intra-article-module\" data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;intraArticle&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13}\">\n<div class=\"articlePageIntraArticleFullWidth ad-slot-placeholder left-image-intra-ad full-bleed-image-intra-ad intra-ad-rm-bg intra-ad-rm-h\" data-ad-index=\"2\">\n<div class=\"left-image-intra-ad full-bleed-image-intra-ad intra-article-display-ad\">\n<div class=\"displayAdContainer\">\n<div id=\"rectangle4_92ca35b7a315421ddf7bac6c4d362dc1\" class=\"displayAdWCContainer     \" data-ad=\"&quot;v&quot;:1,&quot;d&quot;:1,&quot;r&quot;:1,&quot;s&quot;:undefined}\" data-anadid=\"706768758\">\n<div id=\"div_utif_rectangle4_92ca35b7a315421ddf7bac6c4d362dc1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a class=\"adSlug adChoicesOutside adSlugDisabled\" tabindex=\"-1\"><span class=\"adChoicesSpan\">Sponsored<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"article-sub-heading\">Western Economic Warfare Targets Russian Oil Industry<\/h2>\n<p data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\">Beyond Ukraine\u2019s direct kinetic attacks, international sanctions continue to target Russian energy revenue, hampering an already stretched Russian economy and its ability to fund the war in Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=R8SAyQtS6tQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;destination&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:1,&quot;c.t&quot;:7}\">The European Union imposed bans<\/a>\u00a0on short-term contracts for Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG), forcing Moscow to seek alternative Asian markets and secure new transport fleets.<\/p>\n<p data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\">The measures prohibit spot-market imports, ban the use of EU terminals for transshipping and re-exporting Russian LNG to non-EU countries, and phase out the remaining long-term supply contracts by January 2027.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"article-sub-heading\">Ukrainian Drone and Missile Strikes Are Destroying The Economy<\/h2>\n<p data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\">Ukrainian drone strikes have increasingly hit deep inside Russia, and the Institute for the Study of War reported that in addition to attacks on the oil industry, Russian authorities are being forced to restrict the use of airspace in the Moscow air zone.<\/p>\n<p data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\">The<a href=\"https:\/\/www.iaopa.eu\/contentServlet\/russia.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;destination&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:1,&quot;c.t&quot;:7}\">\u00a0Russian Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association<\/a>\u00a0(AOPA) claimed on May 25 that Russian authorities will begin prohibiting civilian flights in the Moscow air zone at altitudes from 0 to 5,100 meters starting on June 1.<\/p>\n<p data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\">Russian authorities<a href=\"https:\/\/www.msn.com\/en-au\/news\/insight\/kaliningrad-airport-closes-in-first-drone-alert-of-war\/gm-GM567FA5CF?gemSnapshotKey=GM567FA5CF-snapshot-1&amp;uxmode=ruby\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;destination&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:1,&quot;c.t&quot;:7}\">\u00a0closed the Kaliningrad airport<\/a>\u00a0for a few hours due to a reported drone threat for the first time on May 25. That is significant, as the airport&#8217;s location, over 800 kilometers from Ukrainian-controlled territory and bordered by NATO states, underscores the growing reach of Ukraine\u2019s drones.<\/p>\n<p data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\">One drone strike targeting a navigation service in Rostov-on-Don resulted in the suspension of air service at 13 major Russian airports.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"article-sub-heading\">\u201cMiddle Strike\u201d Drones Have Hammered Targets Deep In Russia<\/h2>\n<p data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\">The Ukrainian drone attacks are savaging Russia\u2019s air defense networks.<a href=\"https:\/\/united24media.com\/war-in-ukraine\/ukraines-new-middlestrike-drones-are-wiping-out-russias-supply-chains-and-air-defenses-19019\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;destination&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:1,&quot;c.t&quot;:7}\">\u00a0According to United24<\/a>, drones destroyed more than 250 air defense units in April; in March and February, the figures were similar\u2014up to 300 units each month.<\/p>\n<p data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\">The destruction of Moscow\u2019s air defenses is the basis of Ukraine\u2019s Middle Strike Drone strategy and allows it to hit targets deeper inside Russia.<\/p>\n<p data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\">These Middle Strike attacks are less expensive than traditional missile systems and can be manufactured in greater numbers. The attacks are scalable and enable daily strikes against targets that sustain the Russian military.<\/p>\n<div class=\"intra-article-module\" data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;intraArticle&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13}\">\n<div class=\"articlePageIntraArticleFullWidth ad-slot-placeholder left-image-intra-ad full-bleed-image-intra-ad intra-ad-rm-bg intra-ad-rm-h\" data-ad-index=\"3\">\n<div class=\"left-image-intra-ad full-bleed-image-intra-ad intra-article-display-ad\">\n<div class=\"displayAdContainer\">\n<div id=\"rectangle4_b2f61635e81b402bbe4a41428e772066\" class=\"displayAdWCContainer     \" data-ad=\"&quot;v&quot;:1,&quot;d&quot;:1,&quot;r&quot;:1,&quot;s&quot;:undefined}\" data-anadid=\"741730417\">\n<div id=\"div_utif_rectangle4_b2f61635e81b402bbe4a41428e772066\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a class=\"adSlug adChoicesOutside adSlugDisabled\" tabindex=\"-1\"><span class=\"adChoicesSpan\">Sponsored<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\">And they enable deeper-strike operations, especially when Russian air defenses are neutralized.<\/p>\n<p data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\">The \u201cMiddle Strike\u201d refers to the range between battlefield first-person-view (FPV) tactical drones and the long-range deep-strike missile systems.<\/p>\n<p data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\">These fixed-wing drones have eviscerated Moscow\u2019s air defenses, allowing for deeper and more successful strikes against Russian infrastructure. This includes weapons and ammunition depots, warehouses, and command posts.<\/p>\n<p data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\"><a href=\"https:\/\/understandingwar.org\/research\/russia-ukraine\/ukraines-intermediate-range-strike-campaign-and-new-mechanized-attacks-herald-the-start-of-a-new-phase-of-the-war\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;destination&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:1,&quot;c.t&quot;:7}\">The ISW reported<\/a>\u00a0that since early May, Ukrainian \u201cintensified intermediate-range strikes\u201d (Middle Strike Drone attacks) have targeted Russian logistics at operational depths ahead of a planned Ukrainian maneuver.<\/p>\n<p data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\">Ukrainian forces notably began in May 2026 to interdict key Russian ground lines of communication (GLOCs) in occupied Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts. They have also limited Russia\u2019s use of many of the main resupply routes it relies on.<\/p>\n<p data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\">These attacks have basically isolated the entire Crimean peninsula, as Moscow is wary of sending equipment, large troop concentrations, and ships to the ports there, lest they be attacked with virtual impunity.<\/p>\n<p data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\">Middle-strike drone strikes aren\u2019t limited to Crimea. In mid-May, Ukraine sent more than 600 drones on an attack on Moscow itself. The targets struck by the Ukrainian drones included the Moscow Oil Refinery, the Solnechnogorskaya fuel-loading station, the Volodarskaya petroleum-product pumping station, and the Angstrem microelectronics plant in Zelenograd, outside Moscow.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"article-sub-heading\">Russia Is Powerless To Stop These Attacks<\/h2>\n<p data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\">Russia, thus far,<a href=\"https:\/\/www.atlanticcouncil.org\/blogs\/ukrainealert\/ukrainian-long-range-drones-are-turning-russias-size-into-a-weakness\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;destination&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:1,&quot;c.t&quot;:7}\">\u00a0has been powerless<\/a>\u00a0to stop the Ukrainian drone attacks. If anything, they are only growing in size and effectiveness.<\/p>\n<p data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\">The campaign has been bolstered by tech-forward adaptations, such as the Hornet drone, which utilizes AI-assisted targeting and Starlink communications to maintain fire control over occupied territories.<\/p>\n<p data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\">These strikes have had a profound psychological effect on civilians.\u00a0 Deep strikes inside Russia are increasingly common, forcing the Russian populace to confront a war they previously believed they were immune to.<\/p>\n<p data-t=\"{&quot;n&quot;:&quot;blueLinks&quot;,&quot;t&quot;:13,&quot;a&quot;:&quot;click&quot;,&quot;b&quot;:76}\">It is showing the population that the rosy proclamations that their \u201cspecial military operation\u201d is progressing according to plan are total hogwash.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Drones\u00a9\u00a0Switchblade Drone. Image Credit: Industry Handout. Summary and Key Points:\u00a0Ukrainian long-range drones have struck 24 of Russia&#8217;s 33 major oil refineries since 2022, knocking out roughly a quarter of national fuel production and a third of gasoline output. -Total damage to Russian oil infrastructure now exceeds $13 billion. Sponsored Ukraine Switchblade Drone. Image Credit: Creative [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1188","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-putins-assets"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1188","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1188"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1188\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1189,"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1188\/revisions\/1189"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1188"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1188"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sterlingcooper.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1188"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}