Watch: Ukraine's race to counter a new type of Russian drone

On September 22, dozens of Ukrainian drones launched a coordinated attack on industrial facilities in Russia's Samara Oblast, causing significant damage to civilian infrastructure and reportedly igniting a major fire at the Kuibyshev oil refinery, one of the region's largest. Samara Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev reported that the drones targeted industrial enterprises, though no casualties were mentioned.

Ukrainian drones had previously struck the refinery in June 2024, causing it to temporarily suspend processing operations. The Samara incident marks an escalation in Ukraine's campaign against Russia's oil-refining infrastructure, with over 70 strikes on Russian refineries since the beginning of 2026. This has led to the closure of several dozen facilities and forced six major refineries to undergo repairs in August 2024.

The decline in Russian oil refining capacity has contributed to fuel shortages and prompted Moscow to restrict fuel exports. US President Donald Trump claimed that the repeated Ukrainian attacks had significantly crippled Russia's refining capacity, stating that Moscow had "lost control" of diesel production. However, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine emphasized his readiness for de-escalation but argued that any halt to the strikes on Russian refineries should be accompanied by an end to Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy system and critical infrastructure.