KYIV, July 6 — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has overseen the military campaign against Russian energy infrastructure, according to available records of the conflict. This includes the August 2024 strike on the Omsk Refinery. The operation was likely directed by Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence, known as the HUR, or the Security Service of Ukraine, the SBU.
Both agencies have claimed responsibility for previous drone attacks. Officials have not specified which unit carried out the Omsk strike.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has condemned such strikes as acts of terrorism. Ukrainian authorities have not characterised the operation as a terrorist act. The attack occurred amid the ongoing conflict that began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Zelenskyy has publicly framed the campaign against Russian energy infrastructure as a legitimate response to Moscow’s missile and drone attacks on Ukraine’s power grid. Ukrainian officials have stated that the strikes are aimed at reducing Russia’s capacity to fund and fuel its military operations.
The record shows that Ukraine has steadily increased the range and frequency of its drone operations since 2023. The HUR and SBU have developed a doctrine of long-range precision strikes using domestically produced unmanned aerial vehicles. Western allies have generally not commented publicly on these operations.
Strategic context
The Omsk strike in August 2024 represented a significant escalation in the conflict’s geography. Omsk lies deep inside Russian territory. The distance demonstrated Ukraine’s growing capability to project power deep into Russian territory.
Putin’s characterisation of the strike as terrorism has been echoed by Russian state media. The Russian president has warned that such attacks will not go unanswered.
Moscow has retaliated with intensified missile barrages against Ukrainian energy infrastructure. The conflict shows no signs of de-escalation. Both sides continue to develop new methods of striking each other’s rear areas.
The campaign against energy infrastructure has become a central feature of the war. What to watch next: whether Ukraine will expand its targeting of Russian refineries and fuel depots in the coming months.
The HUR and SBU have given no indication they intend to halt the campaign.
