In a significant escalation of the ongoing energy war, Russian losses from systematic Ukrainian drone strikes on its oil and gas infrastructure have now reached tens of billions of dollars. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky during a press briefing on Thursday, April 23, 2026, as reported by Interfax-Ukraine.
Zelensky emphasized that Ukraine’s strategy is fundamentally reciprocal but carefully targeted to maximize economic and military disruption. “As for our responses to Russian strikes on our energy sector—they are absolutely mirror-like. Without a doubt, we attack what is painful for Russia,” the President noted. “Today, their losses are already measured in tens of billions. These are critical losses for Russia.”
According to Zelensky, since Moscow shows no intention of halting its terror against the Ukrainian civilian population and domestic energy grids, Kyiv will continue to systematically dismantle the Russian Federation’s capacity to generate energy and fund new weaponry. Striking deep into enemy territory has proven to be one of the most effective ways to exert pressure on the Kremlin.
The reality of these multi-billion-dollar losses was vividly illustrated overnight. Ukrainian Defense Forces successfully executed a coordinated attack targeting multiple critical nodes in the Russian fuel supply chain. Among the primary targets were an oil refinery in the city of Samara and the “Gorky” oil pumping station in the Nizhny Novgorod region. The latter serves as a vital logistical hub, pumping oil from Western Siberia and Tatarstan. Disrupting such facilities not only halts local refining operations but also cripples the broader logistics network essential for supplying the Russian occupying forces in Ukraine.
Simultaneously, the temporarily occupied Crimean Peninsula witnessed another turbulent night. A massive fire erupted at a strategic oil depot in Feodosia following a drone strike. This facility is crucial for fueling the remnants of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and military aviation in the region. Correspondingly, a series of powerful explosions were reported in Sevastopol and near the Belbek and Kacha military airfields.
Furthermore, a recent strike on an oil refinery in the Russian coastal city of Tuapse caused severe secondary consequences. The situation became so alarming that the developer of the infamous “Novichok” nerve agent issued a public warning to the residents of Tuapse regarding the extreme toxicity of the smoke billowing from the burning facility.
For Ukraine, targeting Russia’s energy infrastructure is not merely an act of retaliation; it is a calculated military imperative. By systematically taking Russian oil refineries offline, Ukraine reduces the availability of aviation and diesel fuel for the Russian military, while simultaneously slashing the lucrative export revenues that fund Vladimir Putin’s war machine. As the war stretches into 2026, these strategic, asymmetric strikes remain one of Kyiv’s most potent weapons on the geopolitical chessboard.