Ukraine drone strikes on Russian energy fall short of decisive

Ukraine‘s long-range drone campaign targeting Russia‘s energy infrastructure has delivered Kyiv some of its first tangible victories in years, but Russian resilience and adaptation have prevented it from being a true game changer.

Ukraine drone strikes on Russian energy fall short of decisive

TL;DR

  • Ukraine's long-range drone campaign targets Russia's energy infrastructure.
  • Western and Ukrainian strategists view Russia's oil industry as key to its war machine and its vulnerability.
  • Ukraine dramatically escalated its drone and missile campaign in 2025, continuing into 2026.
  • A recent attack involved hundreds of drones overwhelming Moscow's air defenses and hitting refineries and storage tanks.