Ukrainian drones reached the city of Omsk in western Siberia on Monday, striking what Ukraine's military described as the largest oil refinery among Russia's 11 gasoline producers to be hit since the start of the full-scale invasion.
The refinery sits nearly 2,500 kilometers, or roughly 1,553 miles, from Ukrainian territory and sits close to Russia's border with Kazakhstan. Ukraine's military general staff said the strike caused a fire at the facility. No casualties were reported. Omsk regional governor Vitaly Khotsenko confirmed the attack on Telegram, saying emergency services were working at the scene.
According to CNBC, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addressed the strike in his daily evening address. "Today, our long-range sanctions reached the oil refinery in Omsk – nearly 2,500 kilometres from Ukraine," Zelenskyy said. He credited the attack to upgraded Fire Point drones. "Upgraded Fire Point drones have put Siberia within reach of Ukrainian precision. This is a significant blow to Russia's oil economy and an important achievement for the Armed Forces of Ukraine," Zelenskyy said.
Fire Point is a Kyiv-based defense technology company that specializes in drone and missile systems for precision warfare. The Omsk facility is estimated to have a refining capacity of more than 21 million metric tons of crude oil per year and produces a range of fuels, lubricants, and petrochemical products.
The strike in Siberia was not the only attack Ukraine carried out. Zelenskyy also said Ukrainian forces had struck oil facilities in the Yaroslavl region and other areas of Russia. Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russian oil infrastructure in recent months, aiming to reduce the revenue that funds the Kremlin's military operations.
The attack came just before a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, where heads of state from all 32 member countries were expected to gather Tuesday and Wednesday. U.S. President Donald Trump was expected to hold talks with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the summit.
Over the weekend, Trump held separate phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelenskyy. On Monday, Trump said a resolution to the conflict is "getting closer than people realize."
Russia struck back at Ukraine as well. Moscow launched a barrage of missiles and drones against Kyiv in the early hours of Monday, killing at least 19 people, according to Ukrainian authorities. The attack followed a separate deadly assault on the capital the previous week.
The Omsk strike marks a significant extension of Ukraine's demonstrated drone range and arrives at a moment when diplomatic activity around the war is intensifying.
