SUMMARY
- Over the weekend, a series of drone attacks by Ukraine targeted oil pipeline installations within Russia.
- The frequency and intensity of Ukrainian drone incursions into Russian territory have escalated recently.
- Amidst the escalating tension, Russia's defense ministry claimed to have destroyed 12 Ukrainian drones and intercepted multiple missiles.
Over the weekend, a series of drone attacks orchestrated by Ukraine targeted oil pipeline installations within Russia, including a station dedicated to the vast Druzhba oil pipeline. This colossal infrastructure, rooted in Western Siberia, serves as a significant conduit for delivering crude oil to European nations, as reported by Russian media outlets.
The intensity of Ukrainian drone incursions into Russian territory has been escalating lately. Notably, The New York Times has revealed that U.S. intelligence agencies suspect Ukraine's involvement in a recent drone strike on the Kremlin. Despite these allegations, Ukraine has yet to officially admit to launching attacks on Russian soil. Queries addressed to the Ukrainian defense ministry regarding the situation remained unanswered as of Saturday.
Located slightly northwest of Moscow, in the Tver region, two drones were deployed against a station integral to the functioning of the Druzhba (or Friendship) pipeline, one of the world's most extensive oil pipeline networks, according to the Kommersant newspaper. The regional council reported a drone crash near Erokhino village, approximately 500 km (or 310 miles) distant from the Ukrainian border.
Baza, a Telegram channel reputed for its strong ties with Russia's security apparatus, confirmed that the drone assaults had targeted a station crucial to the Druzhba pipeline. Constructed during the Soviet era, the Druzhba pipeline boasts a potential throughput exceeding 2 million barrels per day. However, following Europe's attempts to decrease its reliance on Russian energy sources in the wake of President Vladimir Putin's military aggression towards Ukraine last year, the pipeline's utilization has dwindled dramatically.
The Russian defense ministry, during its daily Ukraine war briefings, claimed to have obliterated 12 Ukrainian drones in the preceding 24 hours, along with intercepting two long-range Storm Shadow cruise missiles, which the UK had provided to Ukraine. Further interceptions reportedly involved shorter-range U.S.-built HIMARS-launched and HARM missiles, though the specific locations of these incidents remain undisclosed. The veracity of these battlefield reports could not be immediately verified by Reuters.
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