Ukrainian drones strike deep: Crippling Russia's war machine
Ukrainian long-range drone attacks are yielding tangible results. The targets of the raids conducted by Ukraine include, in addition to facilities related to arms production like the Smolensk Air Plant, infrastructure related to oil processing. Russian refineries and fuel depots are in flames, with satellite images illustrating the scale of destruction.
Thanks to long-range drones, Ukraine can attack targets deep within Russia. On January 20th, one such target was the Smolensk Air Plant. This is a centre for servicing old Yak-18T planes, but also a hub for manufacturing new, piston-engined SM92 Finist aircraft. These machines, in addition to civilian applications, are used in armed versions by the Russian border guard.
The plant in Smolensk is also a centre for the production of dangerous weapons, such as Kh-59M missiles, used in attacks on Ukraine. They can be carried by aircraft such as Su-24M, Su-30, Su-34, or Su-35.
Attacks on targets hundreds of kilometres away are enabled by drones like the UJ-26 Beaver. The unmanned aerial vehicle has a range of 800-960 kilometres, is 2.4 metres long, and has a turboprop engine allowing it to fly at speeds of up to 200 km/h. The Beaver can carry a warhead weighing up to 75 kilograms.
Attacks on oil tanks and refineries
Alongside arms factories, Ukrainians have targeted petrochemical infrastructure. Fuel depots in Tula and the Kaluga region were recently attacked, followed by similar strikes near the Engels base and the town of Liski. All attacks were successful, as confirmed by satellite images.
These images allow us to compare the state of the infrastructure before and after the attack. As evidenced by satellite images, the fuel and lubricant tanks were destroyed due to these attacks. According to the Space 24 service, the extent of the destruction is significant enough to disrupt, among other things, the supply of resources for Russian strategic bombers.
Moreover, Ukrainian actions are restricting Russian capabilities in the field of oil processing. These attacks result not only in challenges with delivering necessary amounts of fuel to the front but also in reduced Kremlin profits from trading oil and related materials.
