"The military is better equipped to delve into the specifics of these operations," Fedorov said.
Fedorov highlighted a significant boost in drone production, saying that " Ukraine has ramped up its production of long-range drones by ten times compared to last year. Several firms are now crafting drones tailored for striking Russian industrial targets."
"Most of the drones used have a range of 700 to 1,000 kilometers. But now there are models that can fly over 1,000 kilometers," Fedorov added.
On Apr. 1, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy led a comprehensive three-hour discussion focused on drone use and strategy, engaging with key military, defense, and government leaders.
The session aimed to refine Ukraine's drone production and deployment plans for 2024, covering a wide range of drone types, including FPV, bomber, reconnaissance, and specialized long-range drones.
Russian media reported on April 2 that two drones had attacked Tatarstan's special economic zone near Yelabuga, which houses chemical and mechanical factories, as well as Tatneft's oil refining complex and the Shahed kamikaze drone assembly plant.
The facilities are located more than 1,100 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
The attack on the drone assembly plant was organized by Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR), according to NV sources.
In just two months, Ukraine has used long-range drones to take out as much as 12% of Russia’s total oil refining capacity, according to a recent Bloomberg report. The resulting shortage of petroleum products forced Moscow to ban their export.
Ukrainian drone strikes open up new opportunities for economic warfare against Russia, damaging Russian infrastructure and industry on a much larger scale.
The refineries’ most vulnerable modules—rectification columns—were chosen as targets. Ukrainian experts estimate direct losses from the destruction of this valuable equipment to be about $1.5 billion.
Indirect losses, including a drop in refining capacity of the Russian oil industry, are estimated at more than 70 million tons per year, which is more than 25% of all Russian capacity.
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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Section: Nation
Author: Андрій Журба
