Ukraine strikes from over 2,000 km away: Zelensky claims responsibility for an attack on a refinery in Siberia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Ukraine claimed on Saturday that Ukrainian drones had struck an oil refinery in Russia's Tyumen region of western Siberia, more than 2,000 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. This operation is part of Kyiv's campaign against Russian energy infrastructure.

In his daily video address, the head of state praised the actions of the Ukrainian special forces, thanking them for an operation that reached "the Tyumen region in Russia, including an oil refinery." He described the strike as "effective work," emphasizing the exceptional scope of the attack.

For several months, Ukraine has been conducting medium- and long-range strikes against Russian installations, particularly in the oil sector. Kyiv claims that these operations aim to reduce Moscow's financial capacity to continue the war in Ukraine.

Russian authorities, however, presented a different version of events. The governor of the Tyumen region, Alexander Moor, stated that Russian air defenses had repelled a drone attack targeting the refinery. According to him, initial reports indicated no damage, and the site's personnel had been evacuated as a precaution.

The Tyumen refinery is considered one of the most modern and complex facilities in Russia. Its nominal capacity is estimated at approximately 8 million tons per year. It processes nearly 6 million tons of crude oil annually and produces, among other things, gasoline and diesel for the domestic market.

Volodymyr Zelensky also announced a significant technological advancement for Ukrainian forces. According to him, new, modernized, long-range drones have been successfully deployed and are now capable of reaching targets located more than 3,000 kilometers away.

The Ukrainian president presented these capabilities as a response to Russian bombings targeting Ukraine. "These are fully justified responses to Russian strikes against our state," he said, adding that Ukraine's long-range operations plan was now being implemented.