Kyiv, Ukraine (AP) – In the secret region of Rurarine in Ukraine, drone attack columns gather at night and are close to silence to strike inside Russia.
Their strategies are strategic: oil confereries, fuel depots, and military logistics. Since the summer, Ukraine’s drone campaign has been rampant, hitting energy infrastructure across Russia and stretching Moscow’s air defenses thin.
Built from parts made in a scattered network of workshops, these drones now fly farther than any point in the war.
Authorities in Mugy Armor move with quick accuracy; Headlamps Glow Red to stay hidden. The engine sputters like an old motorcycle as the exhaust fumes draw in the moonlit night. Minutes later, soon, the Drones lift off the runway and head east. The strikes have caused fuel shortages in Russia, even forcing evacuations in some areas and underscoring the growing vulnerability of the country’s infrastructure.
Drones Hammer Refineries
Western analysts say that attacks on energy infrastructure have so far had a serious – but not crippling – effect. Ukraine’s drones have repeatedly hit 16 Russian Recoineries, representing 38% of the country’s airstrike, according to the latest review by the Carnegie Endowment, a US-based think tank.
But it reveals that the real impact was very limited: Most plants started operating within weeks, and Russia’s output was released by a non-existent striker.
However, deep strikes have given Kyiv an important step forward. The United States and Europe are increasing sanctions on the Russian oil industry as Kyiv’s request for US Tomahawk Missiles. President VolOdymyryy Zensenskyy says the impact of the long-running incident in Ukraine is causing real damage – forcing the Kremlin to import oil and cut exports. “We believe they have lost 20% of their fuel supply – directly because of our strikes,” he told reporters at a press conference in Kyiv.
In the Secret Area, the Anti-Community Commander – a broad man whose call sign, “Fredel,” is checked in accordance with Ukrainian military regulations – watches through Grones-Vision Goggles as the drones soar through the starry sky.
“The drones are coming,” Fidel told the accompanying media. “Instead of flying 500 kilometers (310 miles), now they fly 1,000 … Three factors have entered into a successful operation: drones, people and sacred planning.”
Ukraine thrives on no-frills weapons
Most of the Ukrainian fleet is domestically stocked. The liutyi, the workhorse of the night attack, brilliant intelligence that shines on the waist of the defender, the propeller behind the unique tail, and the unique triangular tail.
It looks like it doesn’t stay or scare – more home depot than extheed Martin – but the ease of the Meeting means that it can be kept hidden and always tends to flow well.
Typical of Ukrainian military philosophy
The reach of these Drones – Some models have multiplied in the past year to reach the 1,000-kilometer boundary radiation. Costs have dropped, some expensive aerial inspection methods, with long drones now produced in Ukraine for as little as $55,000.
A change in geography
“What we’re seeing is that Ukraine is getting better at taking the war inside Russia,” said Adriano Bosoni, director of analysis at Rane, a global risk analysis firm. “For most of the war, Russia operated under the assumption that its territory was safe. There is no longer any guilt.”
The Strategic Logic is clear, he argued: By forcing Russia to acquire air resources and protect the air in a wide area, Kyiv wants to make moscow’s sleeves wider.
The Paris-based International Energy Agency says repeated drone strikes have cut Russian oil production by nearly 500,000 barrels a day. That fuels domestic fuel shortages and exports of diesels and jet oils, even as global oil production remains tight and prices firm.
Kyav’s home-grown Kyalo strike force allowed the approval of autonomous drones, transferred to the West’s approval of imported weapons. That independence preceded punishing the hills of Russia: the Allies rose only after Ukraine spent months beating months of Russian caution.
On the ground, each job is a study in the trade. Less than 30% of drones ever reach their target, so careful planning is essential, Fidel said, pointing out 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 world,” he said. “Right now we are 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 reporters Hanna Arhirova, evgeniy maloletka, dmytro zhyhinas and Alex Babenko contributed to this report from Ukraine.
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