Ukraine launched a massive drone strike overnight Sunday into Russia’s northwest, igniting a brief fire at the Kirishi oil refinery in the Leningrad region and testing Russian air defenses as the two-year drone war escalates across borders. Moscow said its systems downed at least 361 drones across multiple regions; Kyiv’s military said it struck energy assets to choke off funding for the invasion.
Russia’s Defense Ministry reported intercepts that included guided bombs and a US-made HIMARS rocket, but gave few location details. Regional Governor Alexander Drozdenko said debris from intercepted drones sparked the Kirishi blaze; no injuries were reported. Ukraine’s General Staff posted images of flames and smoke, confirming that it had targeted the facility, one of Russia’s largest, which processes approximately 17.7 million metric tons per year (about 355,000 barrels per day), or 6.4% of the country’s national capacity.
Give the gift of hope
We practice what we preach:
accurate, fearless journalism. But we can't do it alone.
- On the ground in Gaza, Syria, Israel, Egypt, Pakistan, and more
- Our program trained more than 100 journalists
- Calling out fake news and reporting real facts
- On the ground in Gaza, Syria, Israel, Egypt, Pakistan, and more
- Our program trained more than 100 journalists
- Calling out fake news and reporting real facts
Join us.
Support The Media Line. Save democracy.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy praised the campaign against oil infrastructure: “The most effective sanctions—the sanctions that work the fastest—are firing on Russian oil plants, on their terminals, on their oil depots,” he said. “They have significantly restricted the Russian oil industry, and this significantly limits the war.” He also cited an earlier strike on the port of Primorsk as having caused “significant damage. This has been checked.”
Fuel strains inside Russia have deepened. Officials ordered a temporary gasoline export halt until Sept. 30, followed by partial restrictions through Oct. 31, after stations reported shortages and rationing. A Bashkortostan producer said output would continue despite a separate drone incident.
Energy pressure is mounting from outside, too. President Donald Trump said the American administration is ready to pursue new energy sanctions if all NATO members stop buying Russian oil, while the European Union kept its target to phase out Russian fossil imports by 2028. Russia, for its part, announced a Zircon hypersonic missile launch in the Barents Sea and joint drills with Belarus.
The cross-border strikes and counters reflect a broader contest: Kyiv’s long-range drone program aims to push Russia’s war economy backward, while Moscow seeks to harden its energy network and signal military reach.