Ukrainian drones strike deep, disrupt Russian arms and oil
Ukrainian long-range drone attacks are yielding tangible results. The targets of these raids, conducted by Ukraine, include facilities related to arms production, such as the Smolensk Air Plant, as well as infrastructure related to oil processing. Russian refineries and fuel depots are burning, and the scale of the destruction is clearly shown in satellite images.
Thanks to long-range drones, Ukraine can attack targets deep within Russia. On January 20th, one such target was the Smolensk Air Plant. This facility services old Yak-18T planes and also manufactures new, piston-engined SM92 Finist aircraft. These aircraft, besides their civilian applications, are used in armed versions by the Russian border guard.
The plant in Smolensk is also a center for the production of hazardous weapons—specifically, the Kh-59M missiles, which are used for attacks on Ukraine. Aircraft like the Su-24M, Su-30, Su-34, or Su-35 can carry these missiles.
Attacks on targets hundreds of miles away are made possible by drones like the UJ-26 Beaver. The unmanned aerial vehicle has a range of 500-600 miles, is 8 feet long, and has a turboprop engine allowing it to fly at speeds of up to 125 mph. The Beaver can carry a warhead weighing up to 165 pounds.
Attacks on oil tanks and refineries
Alongside arms factories, Ukrainians have also targeted petrochemical infrastructure. Within a short time, fuel depots in Tula and the Kaluga region were attacked, and subsequently near the Engels base and the town of Liski. All these attacks were successful, as confirmed by satellite images.
These images allow us to compare the state of the infrastructure before and after the attacks. As observed in the satellite images, the fuel and lubricant tanks were destroyed as a result of these strikes. According to the Space 24 service, the scale of destruction is significant enough to disrupt the supply of consumables for Russian strategic bombers, among other things.
Moreover, Ukrainian actions are limiting Russian capabilities in oil processing. The attacks not only cause problems with delivering the necessary amounts of fuel to the front lines but also result in reduced Kremlin profits from trading oil and related materials.
