On the night of February 26, Ukrainian forces successfully struck key russian military and energy infrastructure, targeting the Tuapse oil refinery and two airfields in temporarily occupied Crimea. The operation, confirmed by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, was executed using drones and involved multiple branches of Ukraine’s military, including the Unmanned Systems Forces and the Defense Intelligence.
The three confirmed targets struck on February 26 were:
Read more: Defense Forces of Ukraine Successfully Hit Ryazan Oil Refinery Ukraine’s General Staff Shares Details
- the Saky military air base (temporarily occupied Crimea);
- the Kacha military airfield (temporarily occupied Crimea);
- the Tuapse oil refinery (Krasnodar region).
According to the General Staff, Ukrainian drones traveled distances of 200-300 km to reach the airfields and nearly 500 km to strike the refinery, demonstrating their extended operational reach. The Tuapse refinery, a crucial component of russia’s energy sector, processes approximately 12 million tons of oil annually, with 90% of its refined products designated for export. A portion of its output is used to fuel russian military equipment.
Satellite imagery reveals extensive oil storage facilities at the refinery, consisting of around a hundred tanks for crude oil and petroleum products. While the full extent of the damage remains unconfirmed, the attack likely disrupted refinery operations and inflicted infrastructure losses.
Read more: IISS Analyzes Western Air Defense Support for Ukraine: What’s Been Delivered and Is It Enough?
