Overview
- The Ukrainian General Staff reported an air-launched strike on Dec. 25 against the Novoshakhtinsk oil facility using Storm Shadow cruise missiles.
- Officials said the attack caused several explosions, while widely shared videos showing thick smoke have not been independently verified.
- Ukraine characterizes the refinery as a major supplier in southern Russia that directly provides diesel and aviation kerosene to the Russian armed forces.
- The strike is consistent with a broader Ukrainian effort to hit energy and logistics infrastructure, following earlier Storm Shadow and long-range drone attacks in Bryansk, Temryuk and Orenburg.
- The UK-authorized Storm Shadow is a British-French precision weapon with long range, a roughly 450 kg warhead and the ability to penetrate hardened targets.