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Ukraine Is Crippling Russia’s Oil Industry

According to Bloomberg, Ukraine’s long-range strikes have pushed Russia’s oil refining volumes to their lowest level since 2005.

Over the past 100 days alone, Ukraine has damaged 24 of russia’s 34 major oil refineries and struck fuel production facilities at least 50 times. Since the beginning of July, russia’s average crude oil processing has fallen to just 3.91 million barrels per day - more than 1.4 million barrels per day below last year’s average.

According to Ukraine’s General Staff, since August 2025, Ukrainian strikes have inflicted approximately $13.5 billion in losses on russia’s oil industry and have knocked out 42.74% of the country’s total oil refining capacity.

Oil exports are the financial lifeblood of russia’s war machine. Every refinery damaged means less fuel for the military, lower export revenues, and fewer resources available to finance the invasion of Ukraine. This is one of the most strategically significant campaigns of the war - and its effects are becoming increasingly visible.

Satellite Confirmation: Satellite imagery provided by Ukraine shows the vessel with a significant hole in its side, effectively leaving it destroyed and resting on the shallow harbor floor, described jokingly by the creator as a "promoted submarine" (0:10 - 0:37).
Retaliation for 2018: The Izumrud was one of the vessels involved in the 2018 Kerch Strait incident, where it participated in the ramming and firing upon Ukrainian naval vessels. The successful strike is characterized as "long overdue karma" for its role in that event (0:43 - 1:07).
Vessel Capabilities: While not technically part of the Black Sea Fleet—they are operated by the Coast Guard—these Rubin-class boats are well-armed with a 30mm gun, Igla MANPADS, and potentially Kh-35 cruise missiles. This marks the first time one of these specific vessels has been completely sunk, following previous damage to others by Ukrainian drones (1:09 - 1:43).
Strategic Impact: The ship was primarily tasked with patrolling the Black Sea and protecting the Kerch Bridge from drone attacks. With its destruction, it is effectively serving as an artificial reef (1:50 - 2:13).

On November 25, 2018, Ukrainian Navy vessels Berdyansk, Nikopol and the tug Yany Kapu were making a planned passage from Odesa to Mariupol through the Kerch Strait.

Russia blocked the route under the Kerch Bridge with a cargo ship, rammed Yany Kapu with the FSB patrol ship Don, then pursued the Ukrainian group as it turned back.

Russian forces opened fire on Berdyansk, wounded 6 Ukrainian sailors and captured all three vessels with 24 crew members.

FSB patrol ship Izumrud was part of that attack. It took direct part in the pursuit and opened fire on Berdyansk. Now Izumrud is feeding fish at the bottom of the Black Sea.

Izumrud can be seen on this video filmed from the Russian FSB patrol ship Don

Staggering Casualties: According to the Ukrainian Defense Minister, Russia suffered approximately 28,000 soldiers killed or seriously wounded in June (1:22). For perspective, the narrator compares this to the approximately 24,000–25,000 total U.S. casualties sustained over the entire 20-year war in Afghanistan (1:30).
Tactical Shift & Drone Warfare: Ukraine is simultaneously conducting a deep strike campaign against Russian logistics, refineries, and supply lines while maintaining high-intensity drone operations (0:14). One top-performing unit, the SBU Alpha unit, reportedly neutralized over 5,500 Russian soldiers in June alone (5:09).
Russian Mobilization Rumors: Due to the high casualty rate and the Kremlin's recent admission that the "Special Military Operation" has evolved into a "war," there is growing speculation among Russian mil-bloggers regarding a new wave of mobilization planned for late September or early October (6:15 - 7:48).
Territorial Analysis: Both Ukrainian (Deep State) and Russian sources indicate that Russian forces made minimal territorial gains in June—estimates range from 84 to 112 square kilometers (10:28). The narrator notes this is one of the slowest rates of advance since June 2024, essentially costing roughly 250 Russian casualties per square kilometer (11:15).
Fundraiser Update
The video concludes with an update on the Car4Ukraine fundraiser, noting the group is close to hitting its €97,000 goal for their summer campaign, which provides critical vehicles for Ukrainian units (12:28 - 13:18).

Russia will bear the costs for the "Power of Siberia 2" gas pipeline itself and supply gas to China at domestic prices. These are the very terms the Chinese side presented to the Russian delegation during negotiations in May, according to the *Wall Street Journal*.

Experts cited by the newspaper believe China intends to stall on the pipeline issue—effectively keeping Russia on the hook—until its position has deteriorated to the point where it is forced to accept any terms offered.

"Putin’s war in Ukraine has not only dragged Russia into a quagmire but also handed Xi all the leverage needed to transform a relationship that was once a contest between near-equals into one of Chinese dominance across virtually every sphere," the *WSJ* concludes.