Ukraine attacked two oil tankers in the Sea of Azov and several oil facilities across Russia in drone attacks.
Posted on July 9, 2026
Ukraine has attacked several Russian oil facilities and set fire to two oil tankers in the Sea of Azov, the latest in a series of attacks on Russian energy sites that have sparked a fuel crisis.
Drones attacked oil depots in the Tver and Stavropol regions overnight on Thursday.
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In the Sea of Azov, Ukrainian drones set fire to two oil tankers, according to Rostov Governor Yury Slyusar, who said one of the ships was still burning and the crews were evacuated.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his defense forces also attacked a reserve fuel storage facility about 800 kilometers (500 miles) from the front line, and an oil pumping station in Ufa nearly 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) from the border with Ukraine.
He said they also attacked an oil loading terminal in the Rostov region, about 200 kilometers (125 miles) from the front line. It was unclear whether this was the same attack described by Slyusar.
kyiv’s attacks on Russian oil depots and refineries have sparked a fuel crisis across Russia, forcing Moscow – one of the world’s top oil producers – to ban a range of exports.
More than 90 percent of Russian regions have introduced some form of rationing or reported shortages of gasoline and diesel, according to official statements and local media reports.
Zelenskyy described the attacks as part of kyiv’s campaign of “far-reaching sanctions” carried out in response to Russian attacks and Moscow’s refusal to end the war.
“We have long proposed that Russia end this war, and every day of delay should bring the sense of war to the place where it all began: to Russia,” Zelenskyy said.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said air defenses shot down 73 Ukrainian drones from Wednesday night to the early hours of Thursday.
The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia fired 94 long-range attack drones and two ballistic missiles at Ukraine overnight.
While 72 drones were jammed or intercepted, 19 drones and both missiles caused damage in 13 locations, it said.
Trump changes his tone
The strikes came a day after US President Donald Trump met Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkiye and promised to grant Ukraine a license to manufacture the Patriot air defense system, a significant change of tone from their acrimonious meeting at the White House in February 2025.
When asked about the Ukrainian attacks on Russia, Trump appeared to endorse the campaign, saying, “It’s an escalation, but it’s also an escalation that can help bring about an end.”
The Kremlin said Ukrainian military pressure would not force it to make concessions.
“We see certain misconceptions within the White House administration: that an escalation of military pressure can help move towards a peace agreement. That is a mistaken view,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
“Further escalation may prolong the special military operation to some extent,” he said, using Russia’s preferred term for the offensive.
He also threatened that Russia would respond by “creating a larger security zone,” referring to seizing more territory in eastern Ukraine.
