Ukrainian military officials have confirmed a significant strike on a major Russian oil refinery using British-supplied long-range missiles, marking a continued escalation in attacks on energy infrastructure.
Key Refinery Target Hit in Rostov
On Thursday 25 December 2025, Ukrainian forces launched Storm Shadow cruise missiles at the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in Russia's Rostov region. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that the attack caused multiple explosions and successfully hit its intended target.
The facility was described by officials as one of southern Russia's biggest suppliers of oil products, providing critical diesel and jet fuel to Russian troops engaged in the conflict in Ukraine.
UK Weapons and Expanding Drone Campaign
The United Kingdom granted Ukraine permission to use its Storm Shadow missiles against targets inside Russia last year, with the first confirmed strikes occurring in November 2024. This latest attack demonstrates Kyiv's ongoing use of these precision, air-launched weapons.
In a coordinated effort, the assault on the refinery was accompanied by separate Ukrainian drone strikes on energy infrastructure deeper within Russian territory. Ukrainian-made long-range drones hit oil product tanks at the Temryuk port in the Krasnodar region.
Additionally, drones struck a gas processing plant in Orenburg, which is approximately 1,400 kilometres (870 miles) from the Ukrainian border. Russian authorities in Krasnodar confirmed that the Temryuk attack set two oil tanks ablaze, with flames covering around 2,000 square metres.
Strategic Aim: Cutting Russian War Funding
These strikes form part of a deliberate Ukrainian strategy that has intensified since August 2025. Kyiv is systematically targeting Russia's oil refineries and energy infrastructure to sever a vital stream of revenue that funds Moscow's military operations.
Both sides have significantly increased attacks on each other's energy facilities in recent months, signalling a new phase in the conflict focused on economic and logistical endurance.
Amidst the military developments, Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented on Thursday that there had been "slow but steady progress" in peace negotiations with the United States concerning the Ukraine conflict. However, she accused Western European powers of attempting to undermine the talks.
