Since the start of the year, Ukrainian drones have struck oil refineries in Russia nearly 200 times
Since the start of 2026, Ukrainian drones have struck Russian oil refineries at least 194 times. These figures are reported by the Financial Times, citing its own analysis and information from the Polish think tank Rochan Consulting.
According to analysts’ estimates, the number of successful strikes on Russian oil refineries reached a monthly record in May. Sixteen hits were recorded during the month.
Overall, since the start of the year, the number of strikes on Russian oil refineries has increased 11-fold compared with the same period last year.
At the same time, Russia claims that most Ukrainian attack drones are allegedly intercepted by its air defences. According to the Russian Ministry of Defence, at least 63,933 Ukrainian drones were intercepted over Russian territory and the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories during the first six months of 2026.
Almost half of all reported interceptions took place in the last two months. In May, Russia reported shooting down 14,195 drones, and in June — 17,832. By comparison, in January and February, the monthly figures did not exceed 6,000.
The Financial Times notes that the statistics on strikes and interceptions indicate a significant increase in the frequency of attacks, as well as in the number of drones reaching strategic energy facilities in the Russian Federation.
Analysts attribute the increased effectiveness of the Ukrainian campaign to expanded drone production and improved control systems.
The role of US intelligence support is highlighted separately, as it helps to determine optimal flight paths and circumvent Russian air defence systems.
“Ukraine has achieved a technological breakthrough that has enabled it to produce more long-range drones and scale up their mass production,” said Stefan Meister, head of the Eurasia programme at the German Council on Foreign Relations.
