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Ukraine confirms strikes on Russian oil infrastructure, defying calls to ease attacks amid soaring fuel prices

April 5, 2026 2:35 am

Ukrainian drones struck a Lukoil oil refinery in the Russian city of Kstovo and an oil terminal in Leningrad Oblast overnight on April 5.

Robert "Madyar" Brovdi, the commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, confirmed the attack on April 5.

The attack comes as Ukrainian officials have acknowledged that foreign allies have asked Kyiv to pause drone attacks on Russian oil refineries as the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran drives up fuel prices worldwide.

Russian officials in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast and Leningrad Oblast said that Ukrainian drones caused damage to refining facilities and an oil pipeline.

“Last night, air defense forces repelled an attack by 30 enemy drones. As a result of the falling debris, two facilities of (the Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez refinery) were damaged," Gleb Nikitin, the governor of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, said on April 5, according to Russian Telegram channel ASTRA.

Alexander Drozdenko, governor of Leningrad Oblast, said on his Telegram channel that an oil pipeline near the Primorsk port was damaged by drone debris.

Photos and videos posted on social media appear to show large flames emanating from the refinery. A large explosion was seen lighting up the night sky over what is purported to be the Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez refinery in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod Oblast.

The Lukoil refinery, which has previously been the target of Ukrainian attacks, is located around 800 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. The Primorsk oil terminal has also come under Ukrainian attack in recent weeks, with strikes on several consecutive nights at the end of March.

The Kyiv Independent

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Ukrainians are making some extraordinary claims about Russian casualties in March. They feel their strategy of using drones to fight Russian soldiers has been vindicated.

Zelensky saying at the same time that almost 34000 of the total Russian casualties of 35300 were caused by Ukrainian drone forces.

One of the greatest decisions the Ukrainians made was in not listening to the western analytic community which was saying that they needed to concentrate on drafting more soldiers and send them to the front.

Reuters

Exclusive-Russia's Primorsk oil terminal lost 40% of storage to drone attacks, satellite images show

Thu, April 2, 2026 at 8:48 AM CDT

April 2 (Reuters) - Russia's Baltic Sea port of Primorsk, one of country's largest export gateways, lost at least 40% of its storage facilities in Ukrainian drone attacks last month, U.S. commercial satellite images seen by Reuters showed on Thursday.

Satellite images from the end of March, supplied by U.S. spatial intelligence company Vantor, showed at least eight reservoirs with a capacity of 50,000 cubic metres each were damaged. That amounts to at least 40% of the port's total storage and may force the outlet to cut turnover accordingly, traders said.

The reservoirs play an important role in the logistics chain at the ports and their availability directly impacts the oil exports.

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The Qatari Ministry of Defense announces that the State of Qatar was subjected to targeting by (3) cruise missiles from Iran, today Wednesday, and our armed forces "by the grace of God" succeeded in intercepting two missiles, while the third missile struck an oil tanker leased to QatarEnergy in the economic waters of the State of Qatar, and procedures were taken and coordination with the relevant authorities to evacuate the oil tanker, which has a crew of (21) persons, without any human casualties.

May God protect Qatar, its Amir, its people, and the residents on its land.

Trump voted by mail just the other day.

Drone attack sparks fire on Kuwaiti tanker in UAE amid Iran’s Gulf attacks
Dubai authorities say blaze contained with no oil leakage or injuries reported as Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain all report attacks.

Authorities in Dubai said there was a drone attack on the Kuwaiti oil tanker overnight, and response teams had contained the incident. They added that no oil leakage or injuries were reported, according to the Dubai Media Office.



AlJazeera

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After the global energy crisis began, we received signals from some partners requesting that we reduce our responses targeting Russia’s oil and energy sector. I emphasize once again: if Russia is ready not to strike Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, we will not retaliate to theirs.

We are open to discussing any type of ceasefire—a full ceasefire, an energy ceasefire, a food security ceasefire. We have already proposed all of this, and we are still open. If the Russians are ready, let them suggest any timeframe—we are ready to resolve this issue.