Ukraine’s Drone Army Strikes 900 Miles Into Russia As Energy War Goes Nuclear
BREAKING: Massive Drone Attacks On Both Sides As Winter Approaches — Gas Shortages Hit Russia, Ukraine Faces $2 Billion Import Bill
240,000 Homes Lose Power In Odesa As Ukrainian Drones Fly 900 Miles To Hit Russian Refineries
KYIV/MOSCOW — Nearly 900 miles from Ukraine’s borders, a massive fire erupted at one of Russia’s largest oil refineries on Saturday. The blaze at the Ufa facility in Bashkortostan — caused by Ukrainian long-range drones — was the third attack on that refinery in just one month.
It’s the latest strike in an intensifying energy war that’s bringing gasoline shortages to Russia and threatening to freeze Ukraine this winter.
This isn’t just military conflict anymore. This is two nations systematically trying to destroy each other’s ability to keep the lights on.
And with winter approaching, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
UKRAINE’S EXTENDED REACH: Striking Deep Into Russian Territory
The Saturday attack on the Ufa refinery shows just how far Ukraine’s drone capabilities have evolved.
Bashkortostan is in the southern Ural Mountains — almost 900 miles from the nearest Ukrainian-controlled territory.
That’s roughly the distance from London to Rome. Or New York to Chicago.
Video from the area showed a massive column of dark smoke rising from the plant following the strike.
This was at least the fourth Ukrainian attack on Russian oil facilities in the past week alone:
- Thursday: Gas processing facility in Volgograd region
- Thursday: Pumping station with 50 million ton annual capacity
- Multiple other strikes on refineries throughout southern Russia
“We are destroying the aggressor country’s production of fuel and lubricants, explosives, and other components of the Russian military-industrial complex,” said Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi.
Ukraine struck Russia 70 times in September alone, according to Syrskyi.
President Zelenskyy said Russia’s gasoline shortage has reached “up to around 20% of its needs” — a staggering figure for a major oil-producing nation.
RUSSIA’S BRUTAL COUNTER-ATTACK: Pounding Ukrainian Cities
But Ukraine is paying a terrible price for these attacks.
Russia has responded with devastating barrages targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
The latest Russian strikes left more than 240,000 homes in southwestern Odesa without power on Saturday.
In Kyiv, over 800,000 customers lost electricity temporarily.
The scale of Russia’s recent attacks is almost unimaginable:
- October 5: More than 50 missiles and nearly 500 drones
- Friday: 465 drones and 32 missiles
- Saturday: Another massive wave targeting power infrastructure
Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko called Friday’s attack “one of the largest concentrated strikes specifically against energy facilities.”
“Unfortunately, there is significant damage to the energy infrastructure,” Svyrydenko said.
This is Moscow’s systematic campaign to freeze Ukraine into submission before winter arrives.
THE WINTER NIGHTMARE: Ukraine Faces Massive Gas Shortages
Here’s the brutal reality Ukrainian officials are confronting:
Russia’s attacks have seriously damaged Ukrainian gas production facilities.
Ukraine will now need to import an additional 30% more natural gas than previously anticipated just to get through winter.
Energy Minister Svitlana Grynchuk is currently negotiating with international partners for these emergency imports.
The cost? Potentially $2 billion just for the additional gas Ukraine needs by the end of winter.
That doesn’t include the cost of repairing repeatedly damaged infrastructure.
“There are 203 key facilities in Ukraine that we need to protect with air defense systems,” Zelenskyy said, renewing his appeal for more Western defense systems.
The problem: Ukraine’s air defenses are only “about 74% effective,” according to Syrskyi.
That means roughly one in four Russian missiles or drones gets through.
And when they do, they hit power plants, gas facilities, electrical substations — everything Ukraine needs to survive winter.
RUSSIA’S GASOLINE CRISIS: 20% Shortage And Counting
Meanwhile, Russia is facing its own energy crisis.
Ukrainian drone strikes have created gasoline shortages affecting up to 20% of Russia’s domestic needs.
Think about what that means: Every fifth gas station in some Russian regions is running dry.
Zelenskyy mentioned that Ukraine had begun using two home-made cruise missiles in recent strikes, “and there are initial signs of success with this particular weapon.”
The Ufa refinery that burned Saturday is one of Russia’s largest processing facilities.
Hitting it three times in one month isn’t an accident. It’s a systematic campaign.
Ukrainian drones are now reaching targets that Moscow thought were completely safe — deep in the Russian interior, far beyond the range of conventional Ukrainian weapons.
Last week’s strike on the Volgograd pumping station targeted a facility with 50 million tons of annual capacity.
These aren’t pinprick attacks. These are strategic strikes designed to cripple Russia’s energy infrastructure.
THE CIVILIAN TOLL: Ordinary People Pay The Price
Strip away the military strategy and here’s what this means for real people:
In Ukraine:
- 240,000 families in Odesa sitting in darkness
- 800,000 Kyiv residents losing power repeatedly
- Entire cities facing potential winter without heat or electricity
- Hospitals operating on generators
- Schools and businesses shutting down
In Russia:
- Gas station lines stretching for blocks
- Fuel rationing in some regions
- Transportation disruptions as diesel supplies tighten
- Economic impacts from refinery shutdowns
- Worry about heating oil supplies for winter
Neither government particularly cares. Both see energy infrastructure as legitimate military targets.
UKRAINE’S DESPERATE PLEA: More Air Defense Systems
Zelenskyy has been pleading with Western allies for more air defense capabilities.
“There are 203 key facilities in Ukraine that we need to protect,” he said in his latest appeal.
The Ukrainian leader said he discussed Russian energy attacks in a Saturday call with President Trump, focusing on “opportunities to bolster our air defense.”
The challenge: Air defense systems are expensive, complex, and in short supply globally.
And even with Western support, Ukraine acknowledges its defenses can’t stop everything.
“Ukrainian air defenses are about 74% effective,” Syrskyi said, “but further efforts are needed to protect energy facilities.”
That 26% failure rate translates into destroyed power plants, shattered gas facilities, and hundreds of thousands of people without electricity.
EUROPE’S WINTER CALCULATIONS: Can They Help Ukraine?
Ukraine is now negotiating with European partners to increase natural gas imports by about 30%.
Ukrainian officials had already arranged credits from European institutions for €800 million ($930 million) and are discussing expanding these loans.
The European Union reported last week that its storage facilities are at 83% capacity ahead of peak winter demand.
That sounds reassuring — until you realize Ukraine needs to import more than 4 billion cubic meters of additional gas by the end of winter.
At current market prices, that’s approximately $2 billion.
And that’s just for the gas itself. It doesn’t include:
- Repairing damaged pipelines and storage facilities
- Replacing destroyed equipment at processing plants
- Emergency infrastructure repairs after each new attack
THE STRATEGIC CALCULATION: Why Both Sides Target Energy
There’s cold military logic behind these mutual attacks:
Ukraine’s reasoning:
- Russia’s war machine runs on oil revenue and fuel supplies
- Hitting refineries creates gasoline shortages that anger Russian civilians
- Damaging oil infrastructure reduces Russia’s ability to export and fund the war
- Long-range strikes demonstrate growing Ukrainian capabilities
Russia’s reasoning:
- Ukrainian morale collapses if people face winter without heat or power
- Energy shortages force Ukraine to spend billions on imports
- Destroying gas production makes Ukraine dependent on expensive European supplies
- Each power outage reminds Ukrainians their government can’t protect them
Both sides believe energy warfare can achieve what battlefield victories haven’t.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT: The Winter Race
As temperatures drop, both nations are racing against time:
Ukraine’s challenge:
- Secure enough gas imports to survive winter
- Protect remaining energy infrastructure from Russian attacks
- Repair damaged facilities faster than Russia can destroy them
- Keep civilian morale from collapsing during prolonged blackouts
Russia’s challenge:
- Restore gasoline production despite continued Ukrainian strikes
- Protect refineries from increasingly sophisticated drone attacks
- Maintain domestic fuel supplies while supporting military operations
- Prevent civilian anger over shortages from becoming politically dangerous
THE BOTTOM LINE: Mutual Destruction Guaranteed
Here’s the brutal truth neither government wants to admit:
This energy war is mutual economic suicide.
Ukraine is spending billions it doesn’t have to import gas while its own production burns.
Russia is losing refinery capacity it needs for domestic consumption and export revenue.
Ukrainian civilians face potential winter in darkness and cold.
Russian citizens deal with gasoline shortages and economic pain.
And neither side shows any sign of backing down.
Zelenskyy’s message is clear: “We are destroying the aggressor country’s production.”
Russia’s response: Keep pounding Ukrainian energy infrastructure until something breaks.
The question isn’t whether both nations will suffer through winter.
The question is which collapses first.
DEVELOPING CRISIS — Follow for updates as the energy war intensifies with winter approaching…