August 6, 2024: Since 2023 Ukrainian long-range UAVs have been carrying out attacks deep inside Russia. The initial attacks damaged or destroyed over 30 oil storage sites and refineries. Subsequent attacks damaged or destroyed two electrical power substations. Hit this year was a full-cycle metallurgical plant, the largest in Russia and able to produce high quality metal for automotive and defense manufacturing. This attack cut off supplies of vital supplies for three plants that manufactured automobiles and trucks.

The UAVs were designed and built in Ukraine. As a result they could be used for attacks deep inside Russia. Long range missiles supplied by NATO cannot be used for such attacks because NATO fears it could trigger similar Russian attacks on targets in nearby NATO countries and start a wider war.

The losses to Russian petroleum and natural gas supply sites have been so heavy that the American government gave Russia some relief from economic sanctions on its oil exports, the same as it has done for Iran. The destruction of Russian oil supplies was a major problem for Russia, although a minor one for American consumers. For the Ukrainians it is an example of how they are inflicting major damage on the Russian economy. Russia is also suffering from economic sanctions imposed by NATO nations. Russia is very dependent on technology and specialized equipment available only from NATO nations. Most of those items are no longer available, although Russia can arrange to smuggle in some items at great cost. China has reversed an earlier policy and is now supplying Russia with high tech equipment it can no longer obtain from NATO countries because of sanctions.

Russian leaders are dismayed at how effective the Ukrainians have been at destroying valuable Russian economic assets with long-range UAV attacks. Not only do most of the Ukrainian UAVs manage to evade Russian air defense systems, but the attacks on petroleum storage sites usually result in spectacular, difficult to extinguish and long lasting fires. These fires are visible to many Russian civilians who no longer accept the government explanation that the fires were the result of accidents. Sometimes the Russian oil storage sites are near factories that use that fuel for their operations. When the factories go up in flames along with the oil supplies, many Russians become unemployed. The damage is even more widespread because the large oil losses have caused shortages for Russian consumers.

The Ukrainian attacks have reduced oil production and refining in Russia by a significant amount. As a result Russia banned oil exports until the internal supplies of oil returned to normal levels. As of mid-2024 the Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil storage and refining facilities continue as do the fuel shortages inside Russia. Civilians complain about the lack of air defenses inside Russia. In 2021 those air defense systems existed around major cities and key industrial targets. After the invasion, Russian forces encountered growing problems inside Ukraine and needed defenses against growing Ukrainian missile attacks. That meant S300 and shorter range air defense systems were gradually withdrawn from the Russian interior. The Ukrainians took advantage of this with the long-range UAVs they built and could use without NATO restrictions on targets deep inside Russia.

All this means that considerable Russian resources are now devoted to repairing, restoring and maintaining petroleum storage and refining operations inside Russia. As of mid-2024 Russia has about 15 percent less fuel supplies, for internal use and export, than a year ago. The Ukrainian attacks continue, much to the embarrassment of the Russian government and its claims of imminent victory in Ukraine.