Ukraine steps up attacks on Russian oil industry as Kremlin reaps export windfall

By Tim Lister, Kosta Gak, CNN

(CNN) — The Ukrainian military has stepped up attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure, as Moscow benefits from higher crude oil prices and some sanctions relief.

Ukrainian drones have struck several Russian refineries and export terminals in the last week, accelerating a campaign that began last summer to target one of Russia’s biggest revenue sources.

As the war in the Middle East and the surge in crude prices provide a windfall to the Kremlin, Kyiv has redoubled its efforts to hobble Russia’s energy production.

The Ukrainian military claims to have carried out 10 major attacks this month on Russian energy infrastructure – some of the strikes deep inside Russia. The extent of the impact is unclear but Russia has mooted banning gasoline exports.

During a call with journalists on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told CNN that Ukraine’s long-range drones had become more effective.

The latest strike claimed by the Ukrainian military was early Saturday against a large Russian ⁠oil refinery in Yaroslavl, north-east of ⁠Moscow. The military said there was a direct hit on the refinery, followed by a fire.

Mikhail Evraev, the regional governor in Yaroslavl, acknowledged that several residential buildings and “a commercial facility” had been damaged, but said that more than 30 drones had been neutralized.

The Russian oil export terminal at Ust-Luga on the Baltic coast was attacked twice in the last week. Long-range drones “damaged oil-loading stands and a tank farm containing oil and petroleum products” early Friday, according to the Ukrainian Security Service.

Geolocated video showed a large fire at the port, and the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations warned residents in the nearby city of St. Petersburg of “air pollution” following the attacks.

“We responded to the strike on our energy infrastructure. We responded with a powerful strike, reducing the capabilities of Ust-Luga,” Zelensky told CNN.

“40 percent of their capabilities remained at that facility” after the drone strikes, Zelensky said.

The nearby port of Primorsk was also attacked last week, and according to the Ukrainians fires at both ports were still visible Saturday.

A refinery in Saratov in southern Russia operated by state producer Rosneft was struck last weekend.

Before the Middle East conflict began and the Strait of Hormuz was effectively paralyzed, Russian crude traded at a substantial discount to other benchmarks on global markets.

Now it’s sometimes commanding a premium, according to analysts. Russia has also benefited from the easing of some US sanctions. In an effort to calm oil markets, the US Treasury suspended sanctions on Russian crude already at sea earlier this month.

Zelensky again criticized the sanctions relief on Saturday, claiming that Russian intelligence was helping Iran target locations with satellite imagery.

“By lifting sanctions on the aggressor, who makes money every day, they are passing on relevant information regarding attacks” on allied bases in the region, Zelensky said.

Russia’s state budget relies on oil earnings for at least one-third of its revenue, according to analysts. Those earnings may have doubled over the past month, they say.

As the Ukrainian strikes continue, the Russian government is poised to reintroduce a ban on gasoline exports, according to state news agency TASS.

It said the measure, which would take effect from next Wednesday, April 1, is being discussed by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak and industry ministries and oil companies.

The government imposed a similar measure last September but lifted the ban in January.

Russian newspaper Kommersant said the ban would be reintroduced because the domestic market was being hurt as producers chased higher earnings from exporting gasoline.

But the paper also acknowledged what it called “unscheduled refinery maintenance” and the fires at Primorsk and Ust-Luga.

Zelensky said Saturday that Ukraine’s attacks were in response to Russian strikes on its power infrastructure, which have caused widespread electricity outages this winter.

“Russia must stop striking our energy infrastructure. We will then not retaliate against it,” he added.

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