Strana 25
was carrying something valuable, prompting
them to concentrate even more heavily on
destroying it.
One example occurred on Thursday, June
11, near Armyansk, where part of a convoy of
50 trucks carrying fuel and ammunition was
destroyed.
Ukraine also began employing naval drones
for such attacks. These unmanned surface
vessels approach the Crimean coastline,
launch FPV attack drones, and allow them to
strike Russian logistics and air defenses from
unexpected directions.
At the same time, strikes against oil
refineries across Russia reduced refining
capacity, allowing the fuel shortage to spread
into additional regions.
Among the facilities hit were the Afipsky,
Slavyansk, and Yaroslavl refineries, two
separate refineries in Tatarstan—located
approximately 1,100 km (680 miles) from
Ukraine—and the Tyumen refinery, which was
attacked twice.
Other targets included the Feodosia oil
terminal, the Vtorovo pumping station, fuel
storage depots, and numerous other elements
of Russia‘s petroleum infrastructure.
St. Petersburg and Moscow
Of all the Ukrainian strikes during the period
under review, two deserve a closer look.
The first took place on Wednesday, June 3,
coinciding with the opening of the annual St.
Petersburg International Economic Forum.
This year‘s slogan was „St. Petersburg, the
Capital of Drone Technologies.“ The opening
was indeed marked by drones—but Ukrainian
ones.
Among the targets hit were a fuel storage
facility and the corvette Boykiy, which was
undergoing maintenance in a dry dock at the
Kronstadt Naval Base. Thick black smoke from
multiple fires rose over the city, and footage
circulated worldwide showing a Russian police
officer on the waterfront unsuccessfully
attempting to shoot down a Ukrainian drone
with an assault rifle while burning fuel tanks
blazed behind him.
In the middle of the month, Ukraine launched
an attack on Moscow, with its primary target
being the Kapotnya oil refinery, located
approximately 15 km (9 miles) from the Kremlin.
The refinery was attacked twice in
succession. The first strike caused significant
damage, but it was the second attack, on
Thursday, June 18, that reportedly put the
refinery completely out of operation. Images of
the strike quickly gained worldwide attention.
According to Russian sources, Ukraine
launched as many as 990 unmanned aerial
vehicles, making it the largest drone attack
carried out by either side since the beginning
of the war. June also became the first month in
which Ukraine launched more drones overall
than Russia.
Footage from the Moscow attack identified
several Ukrainian drone types, including the
FP-1, Bars, Liutyi, Morok, and Sichen. The
Sichen is derived from the Begemot drone but
carries a smaller warhead—40 kg instead of
75 kg—while offering a greater range of 1,400
km (870 miles) at a cruising speed of 200 km/h
(124 mph).
Several cruise missiles were also reportedly
used in the attack.
Videos show numerous drones striking the
upper floors of apartment buildings. In many
cases, however, these appear to be the same
buildings filmed from different angles. It is
also unclear whether some of the drones
had already been hit by Russian air defenses
before impact.
One well-known video shows a drone being
struck directly by a missile, causing one of
its wings to break off. The drone immediately
enters a spin and crashes—directly into the
refinery—triggering a massive explosion.
Overall, however, Russian air defenses
performed poorly during the attack. Multiple
videos show the smoke trails of Pantsir air-
defense missiles missing their targets. Even
the most famous image from the attack
resulted from a failed Russian interception:
a missile missed the incoming drone and
instead struck a fuel storage tank, causing it to
explode and sending its roof flying into the air.
Other footage shows groups of soldiers
attempting to shoot down drones with small
arms while standing on roads in the middle of
moving traffic.
That day, Moscow was shrouded in smoke
from numerous fires. The Kapotnya refinery
sustained multiple direct hits and is expected
to remain out of operation at least until 2027.
According to Russian sources, 17 people
were injured across Moscow during the attack.
Following the strike, Russian authorities
began installing Pantsir air-defense systems
on the roofs of apartment buildings—a move
that, according to the author, turns those
buildings into legitimate military targets.
A Russian police officer fires a rifle at Ukrainian
drones in St. Petersburg.
The Kapotnya oil refinery in Moscow engulfed
in flames.
Russia throws every weapon it has against
Ukrainian drones—but without success.
AIR WAR IN UKRAINE
INFO Eduard
25
August 2026