Ukrainian drone flies 3,000 km to hit Siberian oil refinery, setting record
Ukraine deployed an FP-1 drone that traveled over 3,000 kilometres before striking the Novourengoyskij ZPKT oil refinery in Siberia, a record-long attack.
In the early hours of Thursday, Ukraine launched an FP-1 drone built by Firepoint that flew more than 3,000 kilometres before striking the Novourengoyskij ZPKT oil refinery in Siberia, marking the longest-distance attack in modern warfare. Lars Peder Haga of the Luftkrigsskolen highlighted that, although missiles with similar ranges exist, they have never been employed at full range in a live strike. The incident reveals a blind spot in Russia’s extensive air-defence system, which had previously considered the remote Siberian region safe.
The refinery lies near the “Gazprom-cross”, a critical junction for gas pipelines that transports up to three-quarters of Gazprom’s output in West Siberia, according to analyst Ilian Vassilev. Damage to this hub could severely affect Russia’s electricity, heating and heavy-industry sectors. The attack underscores Ukraine’s growing capability to target strategic energy infrastructure deep inside Russian territory.
Why it matters
The strike shows Ukraine can reach deep Russian energy sites, threatening a vital part of Russia's economy and power supply.
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