Ukraine Drones Hit Russian Oil Refineries, Fuel Crisis Deepens

Ukraine launched another wave of long-range drone attacks on Russia, setting fire to a major oil refinery in the country's south and killing at least two people, according to Russian authorities on Sunday (June 28, 2026). The attacks are part of Kyiv's growing campaign to target Russia's military industries and energy infrastructure.

Ukraine has significantly increased long-range strikes in recent months, focusing on facilities that support Russia's military operations. The strategy aims to reduce Moscow's revenue from energy exports, disrupt military logistics, and increase pressure on the Kremlin as the war enters its fifth year.

Zelenskyy Says Two Russian Refineries Were Hit

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the overnight operation successfully struck two Russian oil refineries.

"Our long-range sanctions reached two oil refineries in Russia," Zelenskyy wrote on the Telegram messaging platform on Sunday (June 28, 2026). "Each strike means a reduction in the resources that fuel the Russian war machine, and another step toward peace."

One of the targeted facilities was the Sloviansk oil refinery in Slavyansk-na-Kubani, located in Russia's Krasnodar region, east of occupied Crimea.

Fire Breaks Out at Major Southern Russian Refinery

Russian officials said debris from intercepted Ukrainian drones caused a fire at the refinery.

According to Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratyev, one person was killed in Sloviansk and another was injured in a nearby village after drone debris fell during the attack.

The Sloviansk refinery is one of southern Russia's largest oil processing facilities, handling nearly 4 million tonnes of crude oil annually, according to the operator's website. The refinery supplies petroleum products for export through Russia's Black Sea ports, including fuel oil, naphtha, and marine fuel.

Photos and videos shared on Russian social media showed thick smoke rising above what users identified as the refinery. However, The Associated Press said it could not immediately verify the footage.

Ukraine Claims Strike on Yaroslavl Refinery

Zelenskyy also stated that another refinery in Russia's Yaroslavl region, approximately 700 kilometres from the Ukrainian border, was hit during the same overnight operation.

Russian authorities did not immediately confirm damage at the refinery.

Yaroslavl Governor Mikhail Evraev said several roads connecting Moscow with the regional capital, Yaroslavl, were temporarily closed because of what he described as an "enemy attack by Ukrainian drones."

Russia's civil aviation agency also temporarily suspended operations at Yaroslavl Airport and several airports in southern and western Russia overnight.

Ukraine's Drone Campaign Adds Pressure on Russian Fuel Supplies

Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russian energy facilities for several months, arguing that oil and gas revenues help finance Moscow's military campaign. Although Western sanctions remain in place, Russia continues to rank among the world's leading exporters of crude oil and natural gas.

More recently, Ukraine has focused on disrupting fuel deliveries to Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in early 2014.

Last weekend, Kremlin-installed authorities in Crimea halted gasoline sales to civilians after Ukrainian strikes on supply routes triggered what officials described as the region's worst fuel crisis since the annexation.

Russia Reviews Fuel Exports Amid Supply Concerns

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said the government is reviewing fuel export agreements to protect domestic supplies.

Read More: Ukrainian Drones Strike Oil Facilities in Ufa and Krasnodar

"There is no ban on intergovernmental agreements at the moment. In each instance, we work with the partners with whom these agreements have been concluded to assess the current situation and requirements," Novak told reporters on Sunday (June 28, 2026).

Fuel restrictions are also expanding in other parts of Russia.

Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev announced that drivers in the Siberian region will be limited to purchasing no more than 50 litres of fuel per vehicle each day at state-run Rosneft filling stations. He added that private fuel retailers may introduce even lower purchase limits.

Earlier this month, private fuel station operators KreisNeft in the Irkutsk region and Elke Auto in the Tomsk region also imposed fuel sale restrictions because of supply disruptions.

Drone Attacks Continue Across Border Regions

In Russia's Belgorod border region, acting Governor Alexander Shuvayev said Ukrainian drone attacks killed one person and injured another on Sunday (June 28, 2026).

Russia's Defence Ministry reported that its air defence systems intercepted 213 Ukrainian drones overnight across Russia, occupied Crimea, and the Black and Azov seas.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's air force said Russia launched 142 long-range attack drones and eight missiles during the night. Ukrainian air defences intercepted 125 drones and seven missiles, according to the military.