KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — At a secret location in rural Ukraine, columns of attack drones gather at night and in near silence to strike deep into Russia.
Its objectives are strategic: oil refineries, fuel depots and military logistics centers. Since the summer, Ukraine’s long-range drone campaign has escalated dramatically, hitting energy infrastructure across Russia and weakening Moscow’s air defenses.
Built from parts manufactured in a scattered network of workshops, these drones now fly much further than at any other time in the war.
Officers in bulletproof vests move with quick precision; The headlights illuminate red to remain hidden. Engines sputter like old motorcycles as exhaust fumes drift into the moonless night. Minutes later, one after another, the drones take off from a makeshift runway and head east. The strikes have caused gasoline shortages in Russia, even forcing rationing in some regions and underscoring a growing vulnerability in the country’s infrastructure.
Drones hit refineries
Western analysts say attacks on energy infrastructure have so far had a serious but not crippling effect. Ukrainian drones have repeatedly attacked 16 major Russian refineries, representing about 38% of the country’s nominal refining capacity, according to a recent study by the Carnegie Endowment, a US-based think tank.
But he argues that the actual impact has been considerably more limited: Most plants resumed operations within weeks, and Russia’s refining output has been cushioned by existing idle capacity and fuel surpluses.
However, the deep strikes have given kyiv the initiative at an important moment. The United States and Europe are increasing sanctions on the Russian oil industry even as kyiv’s request for long-range American Tomahawk missiles has stalled. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine’s improved long-range strike capability is causing real damage, forcing the Kremlin to import fuel and curb exports. “We believe they have lost up to 20% of their gasoline supply, directly as a result of our attacks,” he told reporters at a briefing in kyiv.
At the secret launch site, the commander overseeing the operation (a broad-shouldered man identified by his call sign, “Fidel,” in accordance with Ukrainian military regulations) watches through night-vision goggles as the drones ascend into the star-filled sky.
“Drones are evolving,” Fidel told The Associated Press. “Instead of flying 500 kilometers (310 miles), they now fly 1,000… Three factors influence a successful operation: drones, people and planning. We want to deliver the best result. For us, this is a sacred mission.”
Ukraine prospers with simple weapons
Much of the Ukrainian fleet is domestically produced. A workhorse of night raids, the Liutyi is a waist-high ship with a sausage-shaped body, a propeller at the rear and a distinctive triangular tail.
It doesn’t look fancy or intimidating (more Home Depot than Lockheed Martin), but the ease of assembly means it can be kept hidden and constantly modified – optimized for slipping through heavily monitored frontline airspace.
Typical of Ukraine’s simple war production philosophy, the Liutyi (whose name means “fierce” in Ukrainian) has become a symbol of national pride and recently appeared on a local postage stamp.
The range of these drones – some models have doubled their range over the past year to routinely strike targets within 1,000 kilometers of the border – marks a shift in the geography of the conflict. The attacks a year ago damaged refineries on a much narrower range, mainly in Russia’s western border regions. Costs have also come down, further testing expensive air defense systems, and long-range drones are now produced in Ukraine for as little as $55,000.
A change in the geography of the conflict
“What we are seeing is that Ukraine is improving in its ability to wage war inside Russia,” said Adriano Bosoni, director of analysis at RANE, a global risk analysis firm. “For most of the war, Russia acted under the assumption that its own territory was safe. That is no longer the case.”
The strategic logic is logistical attrition, he argued: by forcing Russia to redirect supplies and compromise air defenses over a broader area, kyiv seeks to degrade Moscow’s ability to sustain large-scale operations.
The Paris-based International Energy Agency says repeated drone attacks have reduced Russia’s refining capacity by about 500,000 barrels per day. This has caused fuel shortages in the country and curbed exports of diesel and jet fuel, even as global oil production remains stable and prices remain stable.
kyiv’s local strike capability allows for independent drone launches, bypassing the Western approval required for imported long-range weapons. That autonomy preceded tougher sanctions against Russia: Allies stepped up only after Ukraine spent months attacking Russian refineries.
On the ground, every mission is a trade-off study. Less than 30% of drones even reach the target area, so meticulous planning is essential, said Fidel, who reflected on the human cost. “The war has fallen on our generation so that we can fight for our children and they can live in a free democratic country,” he said. “We are currently gaining experience that will be used by all countries in the world, and we are paying the price with our lives and the lives of our friends.”
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Associated Press journalists Hanna Arhirova, Evgeniy Maloletka, Dmytro Zhyhinas and Alex Babenko contributed to this report from Ukraine.
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Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine