DIU drones hit Russian refinery far from Ukraine

Ukraine says its DIU conducted a long range drone operation against the LUKOIL Ukhta refinery in Russia's Komi Republic.

DIU drones hit Russian refinery 2,000 kilometers from Ukraine

Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate said it carried out a drone operation against the LUKOIL Ukhta refinery in Russia's Komi Republic on August 10. Ukrinform cited DIU sources for the report. The refinery lies more than 2,000 kilometers from the Ukrainian border and is described as supplying fuel and lubricants to the Russian army. Telegram channels and local emergency services describe explosions, followed by response crews, with residents noting a damaged tank and outages to power and mobile networks. Authorities described a spill from a petroleum product tank and damage to a gas processing plant used to produce propane and butane and gasoline. The report also mentions a prior operation on August 8 in Afipsky, Krasnodar Krai, where a Russian air defense unit was reportedly targeted.

If the claim is verified, this would mark a rare long range strike against civilian energy infrastructure and could widen the conflict beyond traditional battlefields. Analysts caution that the information comes from sources tied to Ukraine's DIU and should be independently corroborated to avoid turning propaganda into policy. The incident raises questions about Russia's energy logistics and resilience, and how disruptions at key facilities might affect both military operations and civilian life. For Kyiv, such strikes expand perceived options but also raise the risk of stronger retaliation and international scrutiny. The broader takeaway is that energy sites are increasingly treated as strategic targets in this war, which could redefine regional stability and investor confidence.

Highlights

The next moves will test how far distant actions can influence a war that already spans many fronts.