On April 25, 2026, Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces struck the Shagol military airbase in Russia’s Chelyabinsk region, damaging several Russian aircraft, including Su-57 and Su-34 jets. Separately, overnight on May 1, Ukrainian forces hit multiple targets in Russia and in temporarily occupied territories.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this.
Details
According to the General Staff, the strike on the Shagol airbase damaged several Russian combat aircraft used to carry out attacks on Ukraine. The target site lies about 1,700 km from Ukraine’s state border.
Officials said, “the extent of the damage is being clarified.”
As part of broader operations aimed at reducing Russia’s military and economic capacity, Ukrainian forces also struck oil infrastructure:
- in the Krasnodar region, they hit the Tuapse refinery, where explosions and fire broke out;
- in the Perm region, they struck the Perm refinery, damaging a primary oil processing unit.
In addition, Ukrainian forces hit a Buk-M3 air defence system and ammunition depots in occupied parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. They also struck other command and logistics facilities of Russian forces.
Context
These strikes form part of a systematic Ukrainian campaign to reduce Russia’s ability to wage war. The operations target military aviation, air defence systems, and oil refining infrastructure that supplies fuel to the Russian army.
Attacks on oil infrastructure and vessels involved in shadow oil exports form part of a broader strategy to cut Russia’s energy revenues and weaken its military-industrial capacity.
Earlier, The Ukrainian Review reported that Ukrainian forces struck the Yaroslavl oil refinery in northern Russia and destroyed military trains in occupied territories.
