Ukraine Strikes Chornomornaftogaz Facility and Drone Relay Systems in Crimea
Ukraine strikes targeted multiple Russian-held sites overnight, according to Ukraine’s General Staff, hitting a Chornomornaftogaz facility in occupied Crimea along with ground-based relay equipment for Russian Shahed and Gerbera drones and a road bridge in occupied Donetsk Oblast.
Overview of Recent Strikes
Ukrainian forces struck a Chornomornaftogaz facility in occupied Crimea, ground-based relay equipment used to control Russian Shahed and Gerbera drones, and a road bridge in occupied Donetsk Oblast, according to Ukraine’s General Staff. [1] Damage was confirmed to the Chornomornaftogaz facility near Vnukovo in Crimea, which Russia has used since 2014 to extract, store, and transport natural gas and petroleum products to supply its occupation forces. [1] The strike on relay equipment in the Chornomorske area of Crimea targets systems that extend the operational range, stability, and quality of control links for Russian strike drones hitting Ukrainian territory. [1] Ukrainian strikes also hit a drone storage facility near Chervonopopivka, a Russian troop concentration in Purdivka in Luhansk Oblast, and a road bridge in the Vyselky area of Donetsk Oblast. [1] A separate Ukrainian strike on July 25 hit the Tyumen Oil Refinery in Russia’s Tyumen Oblast, one of the country’s largest with an annual capacity of around 7 million tonnes producing fuels for Russia’s military. [1] Russian strikes reported separately killed civilians in Ukraine, including a child in a supermarket drone strike in Chernihiv and a woman in a residential building hit in Kharkiv. [2] [3]
Ukrainian Strikes on Crimea Targets
Ukrainian forces struck a Chornomornaftogaz facility and relay equipment used to control Russian strike drones in Russian-occupied Crimea, as well as a bridge in the occupied part of Donetsk Oblast overnight on July 26, Ukraine’s General Staff reported in a round-up of significant strikes over the past day. [1] Damage to the Chornomornaftogaz facility near the village of Vnukovo on the peninsula was confirmed, though the General Staff did not specify which elements of the facility were affected, the report said. [1] Following Russia’s launch of its war against Ukraine in 2014, oil rigs belonging to the state joint-stock company Chornomornaftogaz were seized by Russia and have since been used for the extraction, storage, and transportation of natural gas and petroleum products, as well as to supply the fuel and energy needs of Russian occupation forces on the peninsula. [1] Another strike targeted ground-based relay equipment used to control Russian Shahed and Gerbera-type strike drones in the Chornomorske area of Crimea. [1] The relay equipment extends the operational range, improves the stability, and enhances the quality of control links for attack drones used by Russian forces to strike Ukrainian territory. [1]
Ukrainian strikes damaged a Chornomornaftogaz gas facility in occupied Crimea. — Source: ukrainskapravda
Additional Strikes in Occupied Eastern Ukraine
Other key targets in the General Staff update included a road bridge in the Vyselky area of Donetsk Oblast, a drone storage facility near Chervonopopivka, and a Russian troop concentration in Purdivka, Luhansk Oblast. [1] These strikes form part of the broader set of Ukrainian operations reported for the period covering July 26. [1] The General Staff confirmed the hits without providing further details on the extent of damage to the bridge, storage facility, or troop concentration. [1]
Strike on Tyumen Oil Refinery
The General Staff also confirmed a strike on an oil refinery in Russia’s Tyumen Oblast carried out on July 25. [1] The Tyumen Oil Refinery is one of Russia’s largest refineries, with an annual processing capacity of around 7 million tonnes. [1] It produces motor gasoline, diesel fuel, aviation fuel, fuel oil, and other petroleum products used by Russia’s military-industrial complex and armed forces. [1] This strike occurred one day prior to the overnight operations reported on July 26. [1]
Russian Drone Attacks on Ukrainian Civilian Sites
Two people, including a child, have been killed and 13 others have been injured in a Russian drone strike on an ATB supermarket in Chernihiv. [2] A UAV has crashed into the ATB supermarket in the ZAZ residential district. [2] As of 16:31, two deaths and three injuries had been reported. [2] Bryzynskyi later said that a 10-year-old child is among those killed. [2] According to updated information, four people have been injured; one person is in a serious condition. [2] As of 16:58, the number of people injured had risen to seven. [2] As of 17:33, 13 people were reported to have been injured – 4 men and 9 women. [2] Three people were admitted to hospital with moderate injuries. [2] The others were treated as outpatients and sent home. [2] Russian forces have attacked Kharkiv with a Banderol drone-launched cruise missile, hitting a residential building. [3] One woman has been killed and 16 people have been injured. [3] A Banderol strike has been recorded in the Slobidskyi district. [3] Syniehubov later reported 12 people injured in Kharkiv's Slobidskyi district. [3] He said a 40-year-old woman has been killed. [3] Among those injured are a 10-year-old boy and a 17-year-old girl. [3] The boy sustained a blast injury and was hospitalised. [3] The girl was suffering from shock and received medical treatment at the scene. [3] The Russian strike completely destroyed a house. [3] According to Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor's Office, the number of people injured in the Russian strike on Kharkiv has risen to 14. [3] Terekhov later reported that the number of people injured in the attack stood at 16 as of 16:00. [3] Municipal services are finishing efforts to deal with the aftermath of the Russian attack. [3]
Ukrainian strikes damaged a Chornomornaftogaz gas facility in occupied Crimea. — Source: ukrainskapravda
Related Regional Incidents
Romania on Sunday said it was summoning Russia's ambassador after the NATO member's military shot down the third drone in as many days in the country bordering Ukraine. [4] On Sunday, a Romanian F-16 fighter jet shot down a drone over the Black Sea, five minutes after it entered the country's airspace, Defence Minister Radu Miruta said on Facebook. [4] President Nicusor Dan quoted an investigation as saying a drone shot down on Friday was a "Shahed model, used by the Russian Federation in its war of aggression against Ukraine". [4] Martin L. O'Donnell, a senior NATO military spokesperson, also said the drone "appears to be of Russian origin". [4] Ukraine has in the past reported that its drones hit a Russian oil platform in the Caspian Sea and a refinery in Siberia. [5] The Filanovski platform in the Caspian Sea, owned by Lukoil, was hit according to Ukraine’s Security Service. [5] Local authorities in the Siberian region of Tyumen confirmed that a Ukrainian drone caused a fire in a refinery. [5] These energy targets are more than 700 and 2000 kilometres from Ukrainian territory. [5]
What to watch next
Further drone incursions into Romanian airspace and additional Ukrainian long-range strikes on Russian energy infrastructure remain under observation following the confirmed incidents.
