The April 2 attack on Russian military production and infrastructure at an oil refinery in the Republic of Tatarstan by drones is a turning point in Ukraine's strategy for long-range strikes.
This was reported by the Institute for the Study of War.
The analysts recall yesterday's strike by long-range unidentified unmanned aerial systems (UAS) on Russian military production and infrastructure at an oil refinery in the Republic of Tatarstan, noting that the facilities are located 1,200 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
They quote Reuters, which reported that a Ukrainian drone strike on Taneko, Russia's third largest refinery, affected the main refinery unit, which is responsible for roughly half of the facility’s oil refining.
Reuters also noted, citing its own data, that constant strikes by Ukrainian drones on Russian refineries have led to the shutdown of about 14 percent of Russia's total refining capacity. Furthermore, ISW analysts point out that the April 2 strikes marked a turning point in Ukraine's demonstrated long-range strike capability:
"The April 2 strikes are the first Ukrainian strikes on Tatarstan, and the distance of the targets from Ukraine’s borders represents a significant inflection in Ukraine’s demonstrated capability to conduct long-range strikes far into the Russian rear."
In addition, experts at the Institute for the Study of War believe that such Ukrainian strikes are a necessary component of Ukraine's campaign to use asymmetric means "to degrade industries that supply and support the Russian military."
Earlier "Apostrophe" wrote that attacks of Ukrainian UAVs on the oil refining sector, have a negative impact on Russian economy.