WSJ: Ukrainian Drones Hit Russia's "gold Mine"
- 26.08.2025, 15:58
David found Goliath's weaknesses.
Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil refineries have knocked out about 13% of Russia's fuel production. The situation for Moscow is complicated by Western sanctions that have limited the ability to repair infrastructure and maintain the remaining facilities after 2022, the The Wall Street Journal writes.
It is noted that frequent disruptions to Russia's rail networks and airports caused by Ukrainian drones have forced more Russians to switch to cars. This is especially noticeable in the summer, when demand for fuel surges due to the harvest season.
As a result, several regions, including Russian-occupied Crimea and parts of Siberia, have introduced rationing at gas stations. Where gasoline is available, it has gone up significantly: this year, Russian wholesale prices for 95 octane gasoline have risen 45%, even as global oil prices have fallen significantly.
"These strikes have no direct military impact, but they do affect the Russian economy. And the Russian economy already has problems, so even a small push can create weaknesses and intensify problems within this system," said former Foreign Minister Pavel Klimkin.
Over the past month, more than a dozen Russian oil refineries, some of which are located several hundred kilometers from the border, have been hit as Ukrainian drones have become more powerful and numerous.
"Ukraine is now capable of carrying out prolonged attacks. Last year it tried to do so as well, but the warheads were lighter and the success rate lower. Now, as soon as the effects of a strike are removed, another strike follows. And if Ukraine is able to maintain this pressure and inflict damage to oil refineries more often than Russia is able to eliminate it, the situation will be quite different," said Sergey Vakulenko, former head of strategy and innovation at Gazprom Neft.
In addition, Ukraine is developing its own missiles, in particular the Flamingo cruise missile. With a much larger warhead, it could be a turning point in the war, according to Fabian Hoffman, a missile weapons expert at the University of Oslo.
"If we move from long-range strikes that can disrupt the enemy's industrial and economic facilities to strikes that can completely destroy them, it will make things much more difficult for Russia. Russia must consider that as long as it continues this war, Ukraine will be able to inflict serious damage on it," Gofman noted.
Analysts agree that the fuel crisis itself will not affect Putin's strategic military objectives in Ukraine or his domestic power. However, any disruption matters in the kind of war being waged in Ukraine.
"Modern warfare is a war for resources, and Ukraine is a David trying to find Goliath's weaknesses," said former Ukrainian Defense Minister Alexei Reznikov.