Ukrainian Drones Hit Russian Oil Refinery; Russia Claimed to Have Shot Down 223 Drones

Ukraine carried out drone attacks on various Russian regions on the night of July 23, targeting an oil refinery and logistics infrastructure in Ulyanovsk; the Russian Defense Ministry claimed that it shot down 223 Ukrainian drones over 19 regions, Crimea, and the Sea of Azov throughout the night.

Ukrainian-made UJ-22 Airborne long-range attack drone (illustrative image — Kyiv, 2021). Photo: VoidWanderer / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

At a Glance

Target: NS-Oil refinery (large fire) and logistics infrastructure in Novospasskoye, Ulyanovsk region.
Russian claim: 223 drones were shot down over 19 regions + Crimea + Sea of Azov throughout the night.
Affected regions: Belgorod, Bryansk, Volgograd, Voronezh, Rostov, Saratov, and others.
Civilian casualty: A 3-year-old child died in a fire caused by a drone crash near Voronezh.
Context: Ukraine’s deep strikes against Russian energy and logistics infrastructure continue.

Details of the Development

According to information from Russian Telegram channels citing local residents, Ukraine carried out drone attacks on various Russian regions throughout the night. A large fire was reported to have erupted from the NS-Oil refinery located in the Novospasskoye settlement in the Ulyanovsk region. The attacks targeted the refinery and logistics infrastructure.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced that its air defense shot down 223 Ukrainian drones over 19 regions, occupied Crimea, and the Sea of Azov throughout the night. The ministry stated that the drones were destroyed over the Belgorod, Bryansk, Volgograd, Voronezh, Kaluga, Kursk, Oryol, Orenburg, Rostov, Ryazan, Samara, Saratov, Tver, Tula, and Ulyanovsk regions, as well as the Moscow region. A fire caused by a drone crash in the Voronezh suburbs resulted in the death of a 3-year-old child, and the parents were injured.

System and Operation Context

Since 2024, Ukraine has been systematically continuing its long-range drone campaign targeting Russia’s oil refineries, fuel depots, and logistics centers. These attacks aim to strike economic and military logistics targets far behind the front lines. The one-way attack (kamikaze) drones used are preferred for strategic depth strikes due to their low costs and long ranges.

The Russian air defense’s announcement of shooting down hundreds of drones in one night indicates the scale of the attacks and the magnitude of the preventive resources expended by the defense side. The extensive use of cheap drones raises the issue of depletion of expensive air defense missiles and cost imbalance for both sides.

Regional and Strategic Significance

Depth drone attacks mark a period where modern warfare has shifted to an economic front; energy infrastructure has become a direct military target. This scenario increases the importance of layered air defense and counter-drone electronic warfare against the threat of cheap drones. Turkey’s domestically developed layered air defense (Steel Dome) and counter-drone systems are positioned specifically against such intense and inexpensive aerial threats.