On February 16–17, Ukraine’s Defense Forces carried out attacks on Russian military targets located in Russia and in temporarily occupied territories. The strikes reportedly hit a Ka-27 helicopter, drone control centers, and an oil terminal.
Ka-27 helicopter destroyed
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that Ukrainian forces struck a Russian Ka-27 ship-based multipurpose helicopter. A direct hit was recorded during the night of February 17 in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea.
The Ka-27 is designed to detect, track, and destroy submarines. It can perform tactical missions both individually and as part of a group. The helicopter is also capable of operating alongside naval vessels in all geographic zones and can be deployed from coastal airfields or directly from ships.
Strikes on UAV control centers
In addition, the General Staff reported attacks carried out on February 16. Ukrainian Defence Forces hit three Russian drone control centers. They were located in the temporarily occupied part of Zaporizhzhia region, as well as in Russia’s Kursk region. The extent of the damage and Russian losses is still being clarified.
Ukraine’s General Staff stated that the Defense Forces will continue systematic strikes against facilities supporting command operations, aviation, and drone units of the Russian aggressor.
Attack on Russia’s oil terminal
Drones operated by the SBU Special Operations Center “Alpha” struck infrastructure at the Tamanneftegaz oil terminal in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai, according to the media outlet Hromadske. Following the drone attack, a fire broke out at the oil transshipment complex. This was Ukraine’s second strike on the Tamanneftegaz terminal within a month. The General Staff previously reported an earlier attack on February 15.
The terminal is one of the largest in the Black Sea region. It handles the transshipment of oil, gas, and ammonia. Its storage facilities for petroleum products and liquefied gas reportedly exceed one million cubic meters.
Earlier, The Ukrainian Review also reported on Ukraine’s strike on the Ilsky oil refinery in Krasnodar Krai, carried out on the same night, February 17. The Ilsky Refinery is a key enterprise in the Southern Federal District of Russia, with a capacity of over 6 million tons of oil per year. It was not the first drone attack on it.
