Ukrainian drones hit Russian oil refineries for a second day this week, partially destroying and setting fire to Rosneft’s largest refinery on Wednesday, March 13. Ukrainian drones have also been targeting Russian air bases and military airfields.
Straight Arrow News contributor Peter Zeihan says that the drone attacks indicate crucial Russian vulnerabilities and that they also demonstrate Ukraine’s ability to strike deep inside Russian territory. Zeihan suggests that there might be dire economic consequences as these attacks continue.
The following is an excerpt from Peter’s March 14 “Zeihan on Geopolitics” newsletter:
Ukraine has been ramping up drone strikes and they just successfully hit another refining complex in Russia. The strike on the Nizhny Novgorod complex triggered a major fire and caused significant damage to storage units as well as other refining equipment. The pipeline network, however, remains intact.
This attack highlights Ukraine’s ability to strike Moscow and just how vulnerable Russian infrastructure is to drone attacks. Since the majority of the Russian population and infrastructure falls within striking distance, we could see major disruptions to Russian exports.
As Ukrainian drone strikes continue to ramp up, there will likely be far-reaching implications for Russian oil. We’ll continue to monitor this situation and release updates as needed.