Ukraine hits Russian oil rig in Caspian Sea: official
Ukrainian aerial drones hit a Russian oil platform in the Caspian Sea for the first time, halting production at the Lukoil facility, according to an official from the Ukrainian Security Service.
The attack on the Filanovsky drilling platform, part of Russia’s largest oil field in the Caspian, is the latest sign that Ukraine is trying to step up its campaign to disrupt Russia’s oil and gas production.
At least four drone strikes hit the platform, causing extraction to be halted at more than 20 oil and gas wells, the official said. –
Discovered in 2005, the Filanovsky field was opened by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2016 and produces approximately 120,000 barrels of oil per day.
Lukoil did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the attack.
It is unclear where the Ukrainian military launched the attack, but the Caspian Sea is more than 700 kilometers from Ukraine’s nearest border.
Ukraine has launched several drone attacks on Russian oil facilities this year in an attempt to undermine Russia’s ability to finance its war in Ukraine.
The attacks specifically targeted oil refineries, many of which are located in the European part of Russia.
Ukraine expanded its campaign last month by targeting uncontrolled tankers carrying Russian oil across the Black Sea.
Three such ships have been hit by Ukrainian naval drones in the last two weeks.
Since December 2024, at least seven explosions have occurred on other tankers calling at Russian ports, including in the Mediterranean.
🔴 #LIVE: Briefing of Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova on current foreign policy issues https://t.co/kC3Rjao4ur— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) December 11, 2025
Ukraine neither confirmed nor denied any role in these attacks.
Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, accused Ukraine of piracy and threatened to retaliate by cutting off Ukraine’s sea access in response to attacks on tankers.
The commander of Ukrainian drones said on Thursday that they also hit two chemical plants in Russia’s Novgorod and Smolensk regions.
Major Robert Brovdi said on the Telegram application that chemical plants produce components for explosives used by Russian troops fighting in Ukraine.
“The United Kingdom must explain what a soldier killed in Ukraine on Tuesday was actually doing there,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday, accusing Britain of helping Ukraine commit “terrorist acts.”
The soldier, Lance Corporal George Hooley, died in Ukraine while observing Ukrainian forces testing a new defensive capability away from the frontline, the UK Ministry of Defense said on Tuesday.
Zakharova said the government should not deceive its citizens by claiming that British soldiers sent to Ukraine were merely advisors or instructors, and accused UK forces of helping Ukraine “carry out terrorist attacks and extremist missions” on the direct orders of officials in London.
The UK government, one of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters, has never confirmed how many service personnel are in Ukraine, but the BBC reported that a small contingent was supporting Ukrainian forces and ensuring the security of diplomatic staff.
