US intelligence is helping Ukraine bypass Russian air defences during strikes on oil refineries, - FT
US intelligence is helping Ukraine to plot routes for drones and evade Russian air defences during strikes on oil refineries.
Unnamed Ukrainian officials told the Financial Times this, according to Censor.NET.
Ukraine’s large-scale strategic operation
Indeed, since the start of 2026, Russian oil refineries have come under attack at least 194 times — 11 times more than during the same period the previous year.
Figures from the Russian Ministry of Defence indicate that, during the first six months of 2026, at least 63,933 drones were allegedly intercepted over Russian territory and the occupied territories of Ukraine.
- Half of all reported interceptions took place over the last two months: Russia reported shooting down 14,195 drones in May and 17,832 in June. By way of comparison, according to the data, the monthly figures for January and February did not exceed 6,000.
Analysts add that Ukraine’s drone campaign has become more successful because Ukraine is producing more drones and operating them more effectively.
The fuel crisis in the Russian Federation is worsening
"Ukraine’s air campaign has evolved from targeted strikes against oil infrastructure into a large-scale strategic operation aimed at dismantling the Russian Federation’s energy, logistics, industrial and export systems. Throughout the first half of 2026, Ukraine’s air force and long-range units have been carrying out strikes of unprecedented scale against the Russian Federation’s strategic energy infrastructure. "This intensified campaign, involving the use of drones, has already triggered the most severe fuel crisis in Russia in recent decades", the article states.
