A suspected Ukrainian drone strike hit a pumping station on the Druzhba pipeline near the Russian-Belarusian border, marking what appears to be a new development in Ukraine's aerial capabilities.
The attack, which occurred Wednesday night or early Thursday in Russia's Bryansk Oblast, triggered an intense fire visible on NASA's satellite monitoring systems. The Druzhba pipeline, one of the world's largest oil conduits, serves as a key piece of Russia's petroleum export infrastructure.
According to military observers, the strike showed remarkable precision and may have involved a new bombing tactic. Rather than the typical kamikaze-style attacks where drones crash into targets, reports suggest these drones dropped bombs on the facility.
The Ukrainian 14th Separate Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Regiment, believed to be behind the operation, appears to have modified civilian aircraft like the Aeroprakt A-22 for military use. These adapted planes can carry bombs weighing up to 220 pounds.
The proximity of the target - just 25 miles from Ukrainian territory - allowed for potential return flights, unlike previous strikes on facilities 800 miles inside Russia that required one-way missions. However, the challenges of remote nighttime landings may have led operators to crash the drones after dropping their payloads.
This evolution in tactics could represent a major shift in Ukraine's drone warfare capabilities. If these larger drones can successfully complete round-trip bombing missions, they could become reusable assets for multiple operations against Russian infrastructure.
The attack adds another chapter to Ukraine's ongoing campaign targeting Russian oil facilities, which has intensified over the past two years as part of its defensive strategy against Russian aggression.