Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on December 20, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleUkraine's drones struck a Russian oil rig and patrol ship in the Caspian Sea, marking an escalation in attacks on Moscow's oil infrastructure.
KYIV, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Ukraine said its drones struck a Russian oil rig belonging to Lukoil in the Caspian Sea and a military patrol ship near a rig as Kyiv steps up attacks on Moscow's oil infrastructure.
The attack, which Ukraine's general staff said took place on Friday, is one of a string of strikes targeting Russian drilling infrastructure in the Caspian Sea in recent weeks, but the first one that the Ukrainian military acknowledged officially.
A drilling platform of the Filanovsky oil rig was damaged in the attack, according to the Ukrainian military. The rig came under drone attacks at least two more times in December.
Reuters was not able to confirm the report. Lukoil was not available for immediate comment.
Ukraine says that Russian oil infrastructure is a legitimate target since the trade revenue is Russia's main source for financing its almost four-year-old full-on war against the country.
The general staff added that a military patrol ship was targeted in the strike as well, and the level of damage was being assessed.
Ukraine has been attacking Russian oil refineries throughout 2024 and 2025, but has visibly widened its campaign in recent weeks, claiming credit for sea-drone attacks on Russian shadow fleet tankers in the Black Sea and Mediterranean.
(Reporting by Yuliia Dysa; Editing by William Mallard, Kirsten Donovan)
An oil rig is a large structure used to extract oil and gas from beneath the Earth's surface. These rigs can be located on land or offshore in bodies of water.
A military patrol ship is a vessel used by a country's armed forces to monitor and protect its waters, often involved in surveillance and defense operations.
Drone warfare refers to the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to conduct military operations, including surveillance and targeted strikes, often without direct human presence on the battlefield.
Infrastructure targeting involves military operations aimed at specific facilities or structures, such as oil rigs or power plants, to disrupt an enemy's resources and capabilities.
The Caspian Sea is the world's largest enclosed inland body of water, bordered by five countries: Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Azerbaijan, known for its rich natural resources.
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