Ukraine Expands Long-Range Strikes, Russia Reacts Strongly

Ukraine has used the latest technology to expand attacks on Russian oil storage depots, ports, and refineries in the past week, including targets in the Urals region 1,600 km from the border. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called these 'terrorist attacks'.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on April 30 announced a 'new phase in the use of Ukrainian weapons to limit Russia's war potential'. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said it struck the Transneft oil pumping and distribution station in the city of Perm, where oil is pumped to the Perm refinery and via pipeline in four directions across Russia. The SBU stated the facility is 'a key strategic hub of the main oil transportation system' and preliminary information indicates 'almost all oil storage tanks are on fire'.

Russia's Defense Ministry confirmed the attack and said it shot down 98 Ukrainian drones in various regions. Russian President's envoy to the Urals, Artem Zhoga, wrote: 'The Urals is now within range, be vigilant.'

The impact of Ukraine's campaign has forced Russia to cancel a Victory Day parade featuring military cadets and vehicles, a move seen as a precaution against potential drone attacks.

Zelenskyy said internal Russian documents obtained by Ukrainian intelligence acknowledge that Ukraine has significantly reduced the capacity of oil export ports. The ports of Primorsk and Ust-Luga on the Baltic Sea lost 13% and 43% capacity respectively, while the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk lost 38%. A Reuters estimate from March indicated Russia lost about 40% of its export capacity, equivalent to a revenue loss of $2.3 billion in March according to Zelenskyy's calculations.

The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said Ukraine conducted at least 18 attacks on Russian oil infrastructure in April, with 'increasing range, volume, and intensity', causing 'major impacts on Russian oil exports'.

Attacks in the past week include: On April 23, Ukraine damaged three tanks at the Gorky oil pumping station in Nizhny Novgorod and struck the Novokuibyshevsk petrochemical plant in Samara. On April 24, Ukraine destroyed two production facilities at the Atlant-Aero plant in Taganrog, Rostov, which produces Molniya drones used to attack Ukrainian cities. On April 27, Ukraine struck the Yaroslavl oil refinery. On April 28, the Tuapse oil refinery on the Black Sea was attacked for the third time in a month.

According to Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation, at least 24 oil tanks at Tuapse were destroyed before the latest attack. Russian President Vladimir Putin dispatched Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Kurenkov to oversee the response.

Ukraine is developing long-range strike capabilities, allocating 20% of its defense resources to new technology, according to Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. Drone manufacturer Wild Hornets said an operator used a remote control system to fly a Sting drone over a distance of 2,000 km. On April 23, Fedorov confirmed that Ukraine had successfully tested remote control technology allowing pilots to operate from Kyiv or Lviv.

Ukraine is also marketing battlefield innovations in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE following Iran's attack on Gulf states. Zelenskyy met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on April 24 to discuss 'exports of Ukrainian expertise and security capabilities in air defense'. He said Ukraine is producing twice the weapons the army needs and Ukrainian companies will have opportunities to enter foreign markets. He noted that Russia is particularly concerned about relations with the Middle East and Gulf. He also acknowledged that some other partners 'are not happy with the competition' and 'prefer to limit the independence of our state'.