Ukraine strikes Russian oil refinery
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The gist
Ukrainian drones struck three Russian oil refineries on Monday, Zelensky said.
The campaign aims to squeeze Moscow's war funding and fuel supply.
Background
Ukraine has intensified long-range drone strikes on Russian oil infrastructure through 2026, aiming to disrupt a key source of revenue and fuel for Moscow's war effort. The Sept. 7 strikes followed weekend visits to Moscow and Kyiv by US special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff to resume peace talks. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the strikes are creating upward pressure on global energy prices.
How it unfolded
- Sep 5, 2026Russian strikes across Ukraine outside Kyiv killed at least three people and injured more than 20, even as the two sides agreed not to strike each other's capitals during US envoy visits.
- Sep 6, 2026Ukrainian drones struck the Ryazan oil refinery and Rostov-on-Don airfield overnight; Ukraine's General Staff confirmed the attacks and fires were reported at both sites.
- Sep 7, 2026Ukrainian drones struck three Russian oil refineries in Perm region, Tatarstan and Ryazan, according to Zelensky.
- Sep 8, 2026Ukrainian drones struck Saratov overnight, reportedly targeting the Rosneft refinery for the fourth time this year; local authorities said 10 people were injured, including three children.
- Sep 9, 2026Ukraine struck deep into Russia's Arctic gas heartland and targets around the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, including a naval base and oil-loading terminal, per Zelensky and the Associated Press.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Zelensky said on Telegram that Ukrainian drones struck oil-processing plants in Perm region, Tatarstan and Ryazan.
- Official
- Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox & Friends that Ukraine's strikes on Russian energy assets are creating upward price pressure on a global basis.
- Analysts
- Estimates cited by WSJ and ISW say Ukrainian strikes have knocked out roughly 20-30% of Russia's refining capacity, pushing processing to just over 3.8 million barrels per day in August 2026.
- Caution
- A source cited by Fox News said Russian officials can interpret Western outreach as a sign of Western weakness, based in part on informal contacts.
Still unverified
Unverified footage posted to social media appeared to show thick smoke rising from the Ryazan facility; the extent of damage at the Rostov-on-Don airfield was still being assessed, according to Ukraine's General Staff. Casualty figures from the Novorossiysk attack come from Russian authorities and have not been independently confirmed.