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Military and political analyst Dmytro Snegirev, explained his views on Ukrainian strikes against the Russian industrial complex, which is actively used in war against Ukraine.
Ukraine has gained access to systems manufactured by Western partners, and is also actively developing its own capabilities to develop new unmanned systems and improve existing ones. Russia is currently limited in implementing such projects because it is cut off from advanced technological developments.
A year ago, the maximum range of Ukrainian drones was 800 km. Now UAVs are capable of hitting targets at a distance of 2 thousand km.
Let me remind you that in his congratulations on the occasion of Military Intelligence Day, the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of the Ministry of Defense Kirill Budanov said that Ukrainian drones can reach targets in Russia at a distance of up to 1,800 km from the border.
“Unmanned systems, which the best specialists are currently working on developing, in particular, representatives of the Main Intelligence Directorate, already make it possible to hit military facilities of an aggressor state at a distance of up to 1,800 km. Military airfields, which are a source of constant threat to peaceful Ukrainian cities, are shaking from air attacks. The entire infrastructure of Russia, working for the war, is suffering and will continue to suffer losses,” says the head of the GUR.
I draw attention to the variety of weapons that Ukraine has in its arsenal and uses for effective strikes on military and strategic facilities on the territory of the Russian Federation, in particular, the drone missiles “Peklo” and “Palianytsia”.
It should be noted that Ukrainian UAVs now have the ability to strike at base airfields, even at “Olenye” in the Murmansk region – this is about 2,000 km.
The latest strikes are on oil depots on the territory of the Russian Federation. We are talking about the Leningrad region – “Ust-Luga”. The latest strikes on oil refineries and oil depots in “Engels” have effectively eliminated the possibility of effectively using Tu-160 strategic bombers, which were based at the “Engels” airfield and used by the Russian Aerospace Forces for missile terror against peaceful Ukrainian cities.
According to British intelligence, the January 8 strike caused large-scale fires in the fuel and lubricants warehouse, which reportedly took several days to extinguish. On the night of January 14, there was a repeat strike on the oil depot, which again caused a fire and caused additional damage to the facility’s infrastructure.
Analysis of images from January 21, 2025, shows that four fuel and lubricants tanks were destroyed, and another 10 were damaged.
“The repeated strikes indicate Ukraine’s increased ability to hit Russian infrastructure,” the British intelligence review concluded.
In addition, the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) fighters carried out a successful attack on the Lukoil oil depot in the city of Kstovo. According to intelligence sources, as a result of the attack, the EP-300 ethylene and propylene production unit caught fire at the enterprise. The SIBUR-Kstovo oil refinery in the Nizhny Novgorod region of the Russian Federation has now suspended operations. The refinery has switched its main units to backup mode. The shipment of products has been suspended, an assessment of the consequences and repairs are being carried out.
Let me remind you of the attack on the Ryazan oil refinery in Russia, which took place on the night of January 26, which was carried out by units of the Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces and GUR.
The strike on the oil refinery in Ryazan, approximately 200 kilometers from Moscow, was carried out at a capacity thanks to which Russia receives 17.1 million tons of oil products per year, or about 340 thousand barrels per day. The Ryazan oil refinery is the main supplier of motor fuel for the capital regions of Russia. All this means one simple thing.
These attacks were well prepared and, given their serious success, will continue in the future. And Russia, with its unsuccessful attempts to interfere with Ukrainian drones, demonstrated all the vulnerability and inability to protect its own territory. And not just territory, but an industry that is key to survival and continuation of the war.
It is noteworthy that the Ukrainian Defense Forces and the Ukrainian intelligence community continue to increase the intensity of strikes on rear facilities of the Russian military-industrial complex.
The other day, the Russians confirmed the effectiveness of the strike of the GUR drone on a key plant of the Russian military-industrial complex, which produced microelectronic components for Iskander missiles and Pantsir S-1 air defense systems.
We are talking about the Bryansk plant, which, according to the Russian side, has currently stopped the production cycle. The Russian side was forced to admit critical damage to both production workshops and the impossibility of further production for the needs of the Russian military-industrial complex. And this is already indicative. We are talking about the fact that this plant has repeatedly been the target of drones of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense. Before that, they struck this enterprise four times and, as we can see, the sequence of strikes is very important. That is, we are not talking about demonstrative actions, a demonstration of capabilities, but about the planned consistent nature of the operation of the Ukrainian intelligence community.
It is worth emphasizing the number of Ukrainian UAVs that simultaneously strike several subjects of the Russian Federation. This is more than 120, according to the Ministry of Defense of the occupying country. Thus, we are talking about scaling the production of attack drones. Moreover, I note, with a range of more than 1,000 kilometers.
In addition, the Defense Forces have long been using drones that can carry 250-kilogram aerial bombs for strikes on Russian territory.
According to Defense Express analysts, evidence that Ukrainian strike UAVs can use full-fledged 250-kilogram aerial bombs was recently published by Ukrainian sources. In particular, such munitions were used to strike objects in the Bryansk region of the Russian Federation.
It is worth noting that the Ukrainian side continues the pattern of intensive strikes on the rear infrastructure of the Russian military-industrial complex and military facilities on the territory of the Russian Federation, which are legitimate targets of the Ukrainian side.
And these are already serious challenges facing the Russians. Let me remind you: as a result of the strike by Ukrainian UAVs, the ability of the occupying country to export fuel and lubricants to end consumers has decreased by 14%, which is a significant shortfall in the Russian treasury.
Therefore, it can be said that the Ukrainian Defense Forces and the Ukrainian intelligence community have found the Achilles heel of the Putin regime – and now they will hit these points until they completely destroy the oil industry of the aggressor country. And what will happen after that, after the loss of the main budget-forming and budget-filling industry, is not difficult to predict.
Now the task of the Ukrainian Defense Forces is to deprive the enemy of resources and reduce the flow of oil money and fuel, which the aggressor directs directly to the war, to the murder of Ukrainian citizens.
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