(OMSK, OMSK OBLAST) – Ukrainian drones struck Russia’s largest oil refinery, the Omsk facility, in one of the longest-range drone operations of the war to date, according to footage released by the Ukrainian military.
The strike, which travelled approximately 2,500 kilometres from Ukrainian-controlled territory, targeted the refinery’s processing towers. These towers have become a regular target for Ukrainian drone operations because they are the most difficult for Russia to repair and the most effective way to take a refinery offline.
At least one drone impacted the facility, though the exact number remains unconfirmed. The strike resulted in a large column of smoke rising over the refinery. Video footage also captured an interception attempt, which appeared to be either a fluke or a case of the surface-to-air missile operator mistaking the drone for a passing passenger airliner.
The Omsk refinery is Russia’s largest, with a processing capacity of 21 million tons of oil per year. Google Maps imagery shows the facility spans seven kilometres end to end, a distance greater than the total ground Russia has advanced in Ukraine this year.
This marks the second strike on the Omsk facility this year. On 6th July, Ukrainian forces used FP1 drones in an attack that travelled over 3,000 kilometres. That operation struck the primary crude distillation units CDU10 and CDU11, knocking out 75 per cent of the refinery’s total refining capacity.
It remains unclear whether Ukraine targeted the remaining 25 percent capacity because previous damage had been repaired or to fully knock the refinery offline. Further information is awaited.
The strike is expected to exacerbate fuel shortages in Russia, which have been worsening daily.
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