Ukrainian forces launched another deep-strike drone attack on Russian territory Thursday, targeting an oil refinery located more than 500 miles inside Russia and sparking fires that sent massive plumes of black smoke into the sky, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Zelenskyy announced on social media that the attack hit the Syzran oil refinery, situated over 800 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. He shared video footage showing the aftermath of the strike.
Independent verification of the footage and confirmation of the attack was not immediately available. Vyacheslav Fedorishchev, who serves as governor of Russia’s Samara region, confirmed that Ukrainian drones killed two people in Syzran but did not reference the refinery attack. Russia’s Astra news outlet reported that the drones struck the Syzran facility, which is operated by oil and gas company Rosneft.
The attack demonstrates Ukraine’s expanding capabilities for medium and long-distance strikes, utilizing sophisticated drone and missile technology developed within the country as it continues fighting against Russia’s 4-year-old invasion. Other nations are now seeking Ukrainian military technology and expertise, a stark contrast to earlier in the conflict when Ukraine desperately needed foreign military assistance.
Zelenskyy revealed that Ukrainian drones had also struck another refinery the day before, as attacks on Russian oil facilities that help finance the invasion have become routine.
“Overall, our long-range plan for May is being carried out largely in full,” Zelenskyy said in a social media post late Wednesday. “The key targets are Russian oil refineries, storage facilities, and other infrastructure tied to these oil revenues.”
The intensifying campaign has damaged Moscow’s revenue streams while international sanctions continue to squeeze the Russian economy. Some strikes have penetrated over 1,500 kilometers into Russian territory, contributing to growing unease among Russians about the war and increasing pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine’s enhanced striking distance has also enabled its forces to push back Russian troops along certain sections of the front line, with Ukrainian forces achieving their most substantial battlefield progress since 2024, according to the Institute for the Study of War.
“Ukraine’s intensified midrange strike campaign against Russian logistics, military equipment, and manpower since early 2026 has also degraded Russian forces’ ability to conduct offensive operations across the theater and has also likely supported recent Ukrainian advances,” the Washington-based think tank said in an assessment late Wednesday.
Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that air defense systems intercepted 121 Ukrainian drones during the overnight period from Wednesday into Thursday.
In the Belgorod region along Ukraine’s border, eight people sustained injuries from Ukrainian drone attacks, regional governor Alexander Shuvayev reported.
Russia has similarly made substantial investments in drone technology, using them to attack civilian areas throughout Ukraine during the war, resulting in more than 15,000 civilian deaths according to United Nations figures.
Ukraine’s air force announced Thursday that it successfully intercepted 109 of 116 drones launched by Russia during the night.
The Russian strikes killed one civilian and wounded at least six others across Ukraine’s northern, southern and eastern regions, emergency services reported.
