Russia’s oil reservoirs were set on fire via Ukrainian drone attacks last month.

Two of Russia’s Rosneft-owned oil depots were been set on fire after an overnight Ukrainian drone attack on April 24, destroying an estimated 26,000 cubic meters of fuel. No casualties were reported, and the personnel and the nearby residents were evacuated, according to a report by Reuters.

The Russian-Ukrainian war began in February 2014, and is ongoing. The current conflict began following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, which escalated the war from naval incidents, political clashes, and cyber warfare into a full-fledged military conflict between the nations.

The invasions have so far caused over 500,000 casualties of both nations’ military personnel and civilians, according to the United Nations. Russia’s allies, such as China, Belarus, and North Korea, support Russia’s military actions. At the same time, Ukraine receives support from the United Kingdom, Japan, the United States, and other EU and NATO nations. The U.S. has been supporting Ukraine with approximately $60.5 billion dollars spent to provide weapons, replenish supplies, civilian aid, and more, according to The United Nations.

The drone attack, which was launched by SBU, Ukraine’s government agency, is part of a large-scale joint operation targeting eight Russian regions. Ukraine is planning on further utilizing these kamikaze drones to destroy Russian energy and supplies Infrastructure, as well as disrupt water and food supplies, according to the Kyiv Post. More of these drones, which contained explosives, were found in public infrastructures and leisure areas across Russian territory.

In an interview with the Ukrainian News Agency, Vasyl Malyuk, head of SBU, announced the attack’s recent success and the importance of cutting off Russia’s oil supplies.

“There have been several successful [attacks] on the enemy’s territory. I want to emphasize that it is through the export of oil products that Russia replenishes its budget,” said Malyuk. “We have already reduced oil production and processing in Russia by 12%. We continue to work, and the gas station country continues to blaze.

Thanks to its vast territory, Russia’s oil industry is one of the largest in the world. According to a report by BP, Russia has the sixth-largest oil reserves after the United States, China, and India. In addition, it is the largest supplier and exporter of natural gas.

Since March 1, Russia has banned fuel exports, which will last until August 31. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, only 2 percent of the U.S.’s oil comes from Russia, importing roughly 12,000 thousand barrels every month until May 2023, when the U.S. cut off all oil imports from Russia. This is minimal compared to imports from countries such as Canada and Mexico, which each take up 52% and 11% of the U.S.’s total crude and refined oil imports, respectively.