On March 17, 2024, a Ukrainian intelligence official reportedly stated that Ukraine had successfully struck 12 russian oil refineries with unmanned aerial vehicles. On March 15-16, the Ukrainian media reported that three large refineries in the Samara region were also attacked, according to the UK Defense Intelligence.
Some of the furthest facilities attacked are approximately 900 km from Ukraine. These strikes are imposing a financial cost on russia, impacting the domestic fuel market. Recent strikes against refineries have likely disrupted at least 10 per cent of russia’s refinery capacity. Major repairs could take considerable time and expense. Sanctions are highly likely increasing the time and cost of sourcing replacement equipment.
Read more: russia Will Deploy Pantsir Systems to Oil Refineries and Energy Facilities, but They Are Already There
According to a russian Energy Ministry official, there are plans to deploy Pantsir air defense systems to protect the refineries. However, given the size and scale of russia’s energy industry, it is unlikely that russia will be able to protect all the vulnerable facilities.
Read more: russians Prepare to Use Pantsir-S1 SAM for Provocations on Temporarily Occupied Territories During putin's Elections
