Ukraine hit a major oil refinery in Moscow and other targets across Russia with drones in one of its biggest aerial drone operations since the beginning of the conflict. Kyiv also declared the expansion of its campaign of drone attacks on energy facilities, emphasizing the vulnerability of strategic infrastructure targets deep inside Russia.

The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed on Sunday, Sept. 1, that its air defenses had intercepted or taken down more than 150 drones attempting to strike targets in 15 regions.

According to the ministry, 46 drones were destroyed over the border region of Kursk, where a major Ukrainian force is currently attempting a major offensive, 34 over Bryansk Oblast to the northwest of Kursk, 28 over nearby Voronezh Oblast and 14 over Belgorod Oblast.

The ministry added that many more drones were shot down over a score of other Russian regions, including Kaluga, Lipetsk and Ryazan Oblasts.

Media reports confirm that at least one Ukrainian drone detonated over a major oil refinery in Moscow owned by state-controlled energy giant Gazprom, while another struck a power station in the neighboring Tver Oblast.

Videos posted on social media showed huge explosions overwhelming parts of the oil refinery’s vast complex, located southeast of the city center. The Telegram channel of Russian online publication Baza, which is allegedly affiliated with Russian security services, confirmed that witnesses heard loud blasts close to the Knakovo Power Station in Tver.

Tver Oblast Gov. Igor Rudenya said there was a fire in the town of Konakovo but electricity and gas supplies were not affected.

One of the drones that hit the Moscow refinery damaged an “adjacent technical facility” at the plant, said Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. Emergency services had extinguished the flames.

Sobyanin added that there were no casualties, and the operation of the plant was not impacted.

Russia and Ukraine targeting each other’s military and energy infrastructures

Russia and Ukraine have been conducting regular strikes against targets connected to the enemy’s military and energy industries. (Related: Ukraine escalates long-range strikes, sends drones to attack Russian military air base.)

Recently, Russia fired what Ukraine described as the biggest rocket-and-drone bombardment of the war, leading to temporary blackouts in several Ukrainian cities.

Ukraine has in the past months hastened the speed and enlarged the size of its drone strikes on Russia, as well as on energy facilities deep inside the country. It has struck Russian air defenses and fuel and ammunition stores.

“It’s completely justified for Ukrainians to be able to respond to Russian terror precisely where it’s necessary,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces are trying to maintain control over a major portion of Kursk Oblast. At the same time, Moscow’s forces are moving ahead in eastern Ukraine, threatening the city of Pokrovsk in the contested Donetsk Oblast.

The surge of attacks on refineries and other petroleum infrastructures are aimed at interrupting fuel supplies to the frontlines and hurting Moscow’s most significant export industry.

Drones hit a major refinery operated by Lukoil, Russia’s second-biggest oil company in March, along with oil-storage tanks in a region near the Ukrainian border and a town near St. Petersburg that hosts another huge refinery.

The effect on Russia’s military fuel supply from the attacks is hard to estimate.

Refineries are vital for Russia’s war effort as tanks, ships and planes require refined products like gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. The Gazprom-owned refinery in Moscow is one of Russia’s biggest, and any damage to its operations could generate further turmoil in Russia’s exports of fuels.

Follow UkraineWitness.com for more news about Ukraine’s ongoing war with Russia.

Watch the video below about Ukraine launching a large-scale drone attack inside Russia.

This video is from the NewsClips channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Russia launches over 200 drones and missiles targeting critical energy infrastructure in Ukraine.

IAEA blames Ukraine for drone strike at Kursk nuclear power plant, warns of “nuclear incident” risk.

Russian official warns U.S. will face WORSE CONSEQUENCES for backing Ukraine’s strikes on Kursk.

Russia declares federal emergency in Belgorod as Ukraine intensifies attacks on Kursk.

Russia says Ukraine’s drone attack on nuclear plant was designed to set it on fire.

Sources include:

WSJ.com

Reuters.com

Brighteon.com