Ukrainian drone strikes hit oil refineries in southern Russia and the port city of Taganrog on the Sea of Azov on Friday, prompting local authorities to declare a state of emergency and evacuate some residents.
Kyiv has intensified its efforts in recent months to damage Moscow’s financial capabilities for the war in Ukraine by targeting Russian energy infrastructure as part of a retaliatory campaign. The attacks have also contributed to fuel shortages in some areas of Russia.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense said its forces had intercepted and destroyed more than 370 Ukrainian drones, including several over the Moscow region.
In the port of Taganrog, located near Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories, footage shared on social media showed columns of smoke rising above the city. Regional Governor Yuri Slyusar said he had visited the port following “powerful” overnight attacks.
“Efforts to extinguish the fire involving oil products at the port are continuing,” he stated.
Slyusar said several dozen residents had been relocated to temporary shelters, warning that fires involving this type of infrastructure cannot be extinguished quickly.
Earlier, he reported that drones had struck two “oil storage facilities” in the city of Azov. In the neighboring Krasnodar region, authorities said drones caused a fire at the Ilsky oil refinery. No casualties were reported.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged that Ukrainian attacks are causing fuel shortages and claimed that their purpose is to divide Russian society.
Asked about Kyiv’s strikes during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this week, U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to support the campaign.
“It is an escalation, but it is also an escalation that could help bring an end to the war,” Trump said.
The Kremlin, however, stated that military pressure on Russia would not force it to make concessions.
“We see some misunderstandings within the White House administration that increasing military pressure could help achieve a peace agreement. This is an incorrect position,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said.
Ukraine describes the strikes as a legitimate response to Russian bombardments that have lasted more than four years, saying the goal is to force Moscow to return to the negotiating table.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrsky, said on Friday that a turning point in the war with Russia remains “far away,” despite recent successes by Ukrainian forces.
According to Syrsky, Ukrainian forces have halted Russian advances along most of the front line in recent months and have carried out a series of long-range strikes against Russian oil refineries.
He said Ukraine had successfully targeted 697 locations inside Russian territory over the past six months, while expanding its long-range retaliatory campaign.
“As for the pace of advances, both sides have practically reached parity,” Syrsky said, adding that Russia should not be underestimated and that “we are still far from a turning point in the war.”
