Ukraine’s drones pound Russian power and gas sites as Zelensky claims 45% of refineries destroyed
Ukrainian mid‑range drones have hit high‑voltage substations and gas distribution stations across Russian‑controlled territory and into Russia’s border regions, while President Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukrainian strikes have destroyed 45% of Russia’s refining facilities.
Ukraine is increasingly using drones to hit Russian energy infrastructure far from the front lines, from occupied regions to Russian territory itself.
Recent Ukrainian mid‑range drone strikes have targeted two 220 kV electrical substations, five 110 kV substations and 17 other substations of unspecified capacity. Ten different gas distribution stations have also been hit across Russian‑controlled parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv Oblasts, as well as in Crimea and Russian border regions.
These facilities sit at the heart of local power and gas networks. Substations convert high‑voltage electricity for use by cities, factories and railways, while gas distribution nodes manage flows to homes and industry. Damage at these points can trigger outages, force emergency repairs and strain backup systems.
People in occupied areas and Russian border regions can experience the effects directly as blackouts, fluctuating power and interruptions to gas supply. For Russian authorities and the military, keeping these nodes functioning absorbs time, specialist staff and equipment that could otherwise be used elsewhere.
In parallel with these reported strikes, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that when Ukraine hits Russian refineries, it affects diesel supplies, and he has claimed that Ukrainian actions have destroyed 45% of Russia’s refining facilities. That figure has been presented as his assessment and has not been independently verified from public sources.
Together, the substation and gas station strikes, and Zelensky’s public focus on refineries, point to a strategy aimed at putting sustained pressure on Russia’s energy system.
Developments to watch include any acknowledgement by Russian officials of recurring outages or damage at energy sites in these regions, visible shifts in Russian air‑defence deployments toward key infrastructure, and indications that Ukraine is maintaining or increasing the pace of such attacks as colder months approach.
Sources
- OSINT