From April 29 to May 1, Ukrainian forces launched a series of attacks on Russian oil refineries located in the Krasnodar and Perm regions, as well as in Orenburg, according to a report from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
On the night of May 1, Ukrainian drones struck the Tuapse Oil Refinery in Krasnodar, marking the fourth assault on the facility since early April. Previous attacks occurred on April 15-16, April 19-20, and April 27-28.
The Ukrainian military is currently assessing the impact of the latest strike. However, earlier attacks reportedly resulted in the destruction of at least 24 storage tanks and damaged four others, halting operations at the refinery and causing several fires that took days to extinguish. Satellite images and geolocation footage released on May 1 confirmed the presence of a fire at the facility. The operational headquarters of Krasnodar confirmed the blaze at the Tuapse port following the drone attack.
Additionally, on the night of May 1, Ukrainian forces targeted the Perm Oil Refinery in the Perm region, leading to a fire and damage to the AVT-4 primary oil processing unit.
On April 29, the Ukrainian military also struck the Orsk Oil Refinery in Orenburg, resulting in a fire at that site as well.
ISW reports that Ukrainian forces have also targeted Russian military airfields. On April 25, Ukrainian attacks reportedly damaged several Su-57 fighter jets and Su-34 bombers at the Shagol airbase in Chelyabinsk, located approximately 1,676 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. Satellite images released on May 1 confirmed damage to multiple aircraft.
Furthermore, on April 29-30, Ukrainian forces targeted an airfield near Babki in the Voronezh region, hitting Mi-28 and Mi-17 helicopters.
As Ukrainian operations against Russian oil infrastructure intensify, the average oil processing volume in Russia has fallen to its lowest level since December 2009. According to Bloomberg, citing the analytical firm OilX, the average daily processing volume has dropped to 4.69 million barrels per day.
ISW estimates that Ukraine has significantly ramped up its campaign against Russian oil facilities in March and April 2026.
Radio Free Europe is unable to independently verify the reports regarding the impact of these strikes.
Earlier on May 1, Russian authorities reported a fourth attack on oil infrastructure in Tuapse in recent weeks. The regional operational headquarters indicated that a fire broke out at a maritime terminal in the city due to the drone assault.
Since the onset of the full-scale invasion by Russia, various facilities within the country have been targeted by aerial strikes. The Ukrainian General Staff has confirmed most of these attacks, stating that Ukrainian defense forces are systematically implementing measures aimed at reducing the combat potential of Russian occupying forces and compelling Russia to cease its armed aggression against Ukraine.
Ukrainian forces have intensified their attacks on Russian oil infrastructure, striking multiple refineries and military airfields over recent days. The ongoing assaults have reportedly led to significant damage and reduced oil processing capacity in Russia.
Source: Institute for the Study of War