In May 2026, Ukrainian drones carried out a record number of attacks on oil infrastructure facilities in the Russian Federation — at least 30 times, marking the highest figure since the full-scale war began.
This is reported by Finway
Attacks on Oil Refineries and Their Consequences
Sixteen oil refineries were targeted, including eight of the ten largest in Russia. Some facilities were attacked multiple times to complicate the restoration of production capacities and to prevent Russia from benefiting from the rise in global oil prices amid the armed conflict with Iran.
“Ukraine’s attacks on Russian oil refineries set a record in May, prompting Moscow to ban the export of aviation fuel and threatening to further harm refining, which is now at its lowest level in 16 years.”
According to analysts at OilX, oil refining volumes in Russia fell to 4.58 million barrels per day in May — a 13% decrease compared to the same period last year, and the lowest figure since autumn 2009.
Change in Attack Tactics and Impact on the Market
Expert Serhiy Vakulenko emphasizes that Ukraine has expanded its list of targets, focusing on key infrastructure elements: secondary installations, terminals, and pumping stations. Their restoration is complicated by the imposition of international sanctions against Russia.
Despite the significant decline in refining, the fuel crisis in Russia has not yet reached a large scale. The retail price of gasoline has increased by just over 2 rubles since the beginning of the year, and restrictions on fuel sales have only been introduced in occupied Crimea.
Since the start of the full-scale war, various facilities in Russia have been subjected to airstrikes. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has repeatedly stated that such actions are aimed at weakening the combat potential of Russian occupation forces and forcing Russia to cease its armed aggression against Ukraine.