“We do not disclose specific plans or future targets, of course. But the effort is systematic, and every next step is part of our broader strategy.”
That is how Ukraine’s 1st Separate Unmanned Systems Center described its long-range drone campaign to RBC-Ukraine. The numbers it gave are large. Deep-strike drones hit 697 targets in Russia in the first half of 2026 and disabled a record 43% of the country’s oil refining capacity. The center says the number of strikes deep inside enemy territory has risen by 1,150% since the start of the year.
Moscow burned twice
The center says its focus is on the fuel sector, the defense industry and the logistics networks that serve them. “In June, we struck 11 oil refineries and more than eight defense-industrial enterprises,” the military said. “There were only a few days when nothing was burning in the enemy’s strategic rear. Moscow burned twice in June.”
In July, the center and other units of Ukraine’s Defense Forces went after the country’s largest oil refinery in Omsk. Omsk is about 2,400 kilometers away in a straight line. With route deviations and maneuvering, the drones flew as many as 3,000 kilometers, pushing the reach of Ukrainian strikes into Siberia.
Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council says the country deployed six times more long-range drones in 2025 than in 2024. The center credits more assets, more precise reconnaissance and a shorter preparation cycle. “Everything is carefully calculated,” it said.
Ukrainian officials have said refineries, fuel depots and port facilities inside Russia are legitimate targets, part of a plan to cut the revenue that sustains Moscow’s military operations. Analysts warn the approach could provoke further retaliation and deepen the war.
Built to fly far
What sets a deep-strike drone apart from a short-range one is mostly fuel. The more fuel or battery power it carries, the farther it flies, developers of the Bars long-range drone told RBC-Ukraine. Oleh Krot, chairman of the board of Culver Aerospace, said these machines are “engineered from the outset to cover vast distances, operate for extended periods and complete missions in a challenging environment.”
Short-range drones are built for simplicity, quick deployment and low cost. Long-range ones have to stay stable and reliable for hours with limited energy while the weather, navigation and enemy action all work against them. Flight routes are planned before launch, taking into account the target, range, platform limits, navigation conditions and operational security. Final decisions on routes rest with the military.
DG Industry designed its Shpatel drone, which can fly hundreds of kilometers one way, as a universal platform. It can strike targets under manual control, with pre-programmed coordinates or with coordinates updated mid-mission. It can also serve as a decoy to overload air defenses or as a communications relay.
Electronic warfare is a constant race. “Any advantage is temporary,” Krot said. “The edge belongs to whoever learns faster, implements changes more quickly and better integrates combat experience into its systems.” DG Industry said it adapted its drones for satellite communication links, so missions can run where electronic warfare is active. Makers did not disclose specific countermeasures.
Cost matters as well. Mass deployment of long-range drones forces the enemy to spend far more expensive air-defense missiles on comparatively cheap targets, developers told the outlet.
Testing starts on the ground, with component checks and inspections of electronics, engines and software, before staged flights. Developers say the cycle of combat use, analysis, engineering changes and a new iteration is far shorter in Ukraine than in traditional defense industries.
Sources
- Ukraine Expands Strikes on Russian Energy Infrastructure, Targeting War Revenue – The Zambian Observer
- 'Moscow burned twice': Inside Ukraine's largest-ever drone campaign against Russia
