Ukraine expands military capabilities amid tensions with Russia

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Russian officials have described recent Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil storage facilities as “terrorism” and are urging vigilance. In the past week, Ukraine has conducted strikes against Russian oil storage, ports, and refineries using its latest technology. The attacks targeted facilities 1,600 kilometers from Ukraine’s borders in the Urals region.

The Ukraine Security Service (SBU) confirmed that it struck Transneft’s oil pumping and distribution facility in Perm, which is a key hub for Russia’s main oil transportation system. Preliminary information suggests that almost all oil storage tanks at the facility are on fire.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence has also confirmed the strike and reported downing 98 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) across various regions. The Russian presidential envoy to the region, Artem Zhoga, stated that “the Urals are now within reach, be vigilant.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the attacks as “terrorist attacks.” Additionally, Russia’s Ministry of Defence announced that military cadets and equipment would not participate in this year’s Victory Day parade due to the current operational situation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine is using its latest technology to limit Russia’s war potential. He also revealed that internal Russian documents show that Ukraine has deprived oil offloading ports of much of their capacity, resulting in significant revenue losses for Russia.

According to estimates, Russia has lost approximately 40 percent of its export capacity, which translates to revenue losses of $2.3 billion in March. The Institute for the Study of War reported that Ukraine has likely conducted at least 18 strikes against Russian oil infrastructure in April.

Ukraine has continued to strike other oil and military targets during the past week, including the Gorky oil pumping station in Nizhny Novgorod, the Novokuibyshevsk petrochemical plant in Samara, and the Yaroslavl oil refinery. The Ukrainian head of the Center for Countering Disinformation, Andriy Kovalenko, reported that at least 24 oil storage tanks had been destroyed.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has dispatched his Civil Defence, Emergencies, and Disaster Relief minister, Alexander Kurenkov, to oversee the response personally. Ukraine’s Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov stated that the country is developing its own long-range strike capabilities and devotes 20 percent of its defence resources to new technologies.

Source: Al Jazeera