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Under the cloak of darkness in rural Ukraine, attack drones are meticulously assembled before embarking on long-range missions deep into Russian territory.
These strikes, targeting vital oil refineries, fuel depots, and military logistics hubs, represent a significant escalation in Ukraine’s drone campaign since the summer, now reaching unprecedented distances.
In near silence, officers in body armour work with precision, their headlamps glowing red to maintain concealment. Engines sputter briefly before each drone lifts from a makeshift runway, heading east into the moonless night.
The sustained assault has begun to bite, causing petrol shortages and even rationing in parts of Russia, exposing a critical vulnerability in the nation’s infrastructure and stretching Moscow’s air defences thin.
Western analysts say the attacks on energy infrastructure so far have had a serious – but not crippling – effect.
Ukrainian drones have repeatedly hit 16 major Russian refineries, representing about 38 per cent of the country’s nominal refining capacity, according to a recent review by the Carnegie Endowment, a US-based think tank.
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Ukrainian servicemen of the 14th Separate Unmanned Aerial Systems Regiment prepare long-range drones An-196 Liutyi before takeoff in an undisclosed location (AP)
But it argues the actual impact has been considerably more limited: most plants resumed operations within weeks, and Russia’s refining output has been cushioned by idle capacity and existing fuel surpluses.
The deep strikes have, however, given Kyiv the initiative at an important moment. The United States and Europe are ramping up sanctions on Russia’s oil industry even as Kyiv’s request for US long-range Tomahawk missiles has stalled.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine’s improved long-range strike capability is causing real damage – forcing the Kremlin to import fuel and curb exports.
“We believe they’ve lost up to 20 per cent of their gasoline supply – directly as a result of our strikes,” he told reporters at a briefing in Kyiv.
At the secret launch site, the commander overseeing the operation – a broad-shouldered man identified by his call sign, “Fidel”, in accordance with Ukrainian military regulations – watches through night-vision goggles as the drones climb into the star-filled sky.
“Drones are evolving,” Fidel said.
“Instead of flying 500 kilometres (310 miles), now they fly 1,000 … Three factors go into a successful operation: the drones, the people and the planning. We want to deliver the best result. For us, this is a holy mission.”
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A Ukrainian commander callsign Fidel of the 14th Separate Unmanned Aerial Systems Regiment looks though night vision before takeoff of long-range drones An-196 Liutyi towards Russia (AP)
Ukraine thrives on no-frills weapons
Much of Ukraine’s fleet is homegrown. The Liutyi, a workhorse of the nightly attacks, is a waist-high craft with a sausage-shaped body, a propeller at the back, and a distinctive triangular tail.
It looks neither sleek nor intimidating – more Home Depot than Lockheed Martin – but the ease of assembly means it can be kept hidden and constantly tweaked: optimised to slip through heavily monitored frontline airspace.
Typical of Ukraine’s no-frills war production philosophy, the Liutyi – whose name means “fierce” in Ukrainian – has become a symbol of national pride and recently featured on a local postage stamp.
The reach of these drones, with some models doubling in range over the past year to routinely strike targets within a 1,000-kilometre radius of the border, marks a shift in the geography of the conflict.
Attacks a year ago damaged refineries in a much narrower range, mostly in western Russian border regions. Costs have also come down, further testing expensive air defence systems, with long-range drones now being produced in Ukraine for as little as $55,000.
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Long-range drones An-196 Liutyi of the Ukrainian 14th Separate Unmanned Aerial Systems Regiment stand in line before takeoff (AP)
A shift in conflict geography
“What we’re seeing is that Ukraine is getting better at taking the war inside Russia,” said Adriano Bosoni, director of analysis at RANE, a global risk analysis firm.
“For most of the war, Russia operated on the assumption that its own territory was safe. That’s no longer the case.”
The strategic logic is attrition by logistics, he argued: by forcing Russia to reroute supplies and commit air defences to a wider area, Kyiv seeks to degrade Moscow’s capacity to sustain large-scale operations.
The Paris-based International Energy Agency says repeated drone strikes have cut Russia’s refining capacity by about 500,000 barrels a day. That has triggered domestic fuel shortages and curbed exports of diesel and jet fuel, even as overall global oil production remains steady and prices stable.
Kyiv’s homegrown strike capability allows independent drone launches, bypassing the Western approval required for imported long-range weapons. That autonomy preceded tougher sanctions on Russia: allies escalated only after Ukraine had spent months hitting Russian refineries.
On the ground, each mission is a study in tradeoffs. Fewer than 30 per cent of drones even reach the target area, so meticulous planning is essential, said Fidel, who reflected on the human cost.
“War has fallen to our generation so that we can fight for our kids and they can live in a free democratic country,” he said.
“We are currently obtaining experience that will be used by every country in the world, and we are paying the price with our lives and the lives of our friends.”
