Kyiv, Ukraine — Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) has claimed a significant victory deep inside Russian territory, confirming a successful strike that has destroyed all three lines of a critical military fuel pipeline in the Moscow region.
The operation, carried out late Friday, targeted the 400-kilometer Koltsevoy (Ring) pipeline near the Ramensky district, a vital artery supplying the Russian armed forces with enormous volumes of jet fuel, diesel, and gasoline from refineries.
Targeting Military Logistics
HUR described the strike, which involved simultaneous explosions at the infrastructure, as a “serious blow” to Russia’s military logistics. The pipeline was capable of transporting millions of tons of various fuels annually, making its incapacitation a major setback for Russia’s supply chain to the front lines.
- Intelligence Chief’s Comments: Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, head of HUR, stated that the direct action had “more impact than the sanctions,” emphasizing the immediate military and economic damage caused by the strike.
- Failed Defenses: According to HUR, the attack successfully bypassed the site’s anti-drone netting and armed security guards.
- Wider Campaign: The strike is part of Ukraine’s intensified long-range campaign, which has increasingly targeted Russian oil and energy infrastructure deep inside the country in recent months.
The news comes as Russia continues its massive drone and missile campaign against Ukrainian energy infrastructure, plunging parts of Ukraine into power outages as winter approaches, a tactic Kyiv describes as “systematic energy terror.” Ukrainian forces are also grappling with an intense Russian offensive in the eastern Donetsk region, particularly around the strategic city of Pokrovsk.
