Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) carried out its first-ever drone strike on Russia’s Vladimir Filanovsky offshore oil field in the Caspian Sea, shutting down production at more than 20 wells, an SBU source told the Kyiv Independent on Thursday.

According to the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, four long-range Ukrainian drones hit the massive oil and gas platform operated by a subsidiary of Lukoil—Russia’s largest privately owned oil company.

“At least four hits were recorded on the offshore platform. As a result of the attack, oil and gas production from more than 20 wells it serves stopped,” the source said.

The SBU described the strike as a message to Moscow: “Explosions in the Caspian Sea are another reminder to the Russian Federation that all its enterprises working for the war are legitimate targets.”

The Russian Defense Ministry has not commented on the reported attack on the Filanovsky field. Instead, it claimed on Dec. 11 that it had downed 287 Ukrainian drones overnight, many allegedly aimed at Moscow.

The strike represents one of Ukraine’s deepest attacks on Russian energy infrastructure to date, demonstrating Kyiv’s growing reliance on domestically produced long-range drones to disrupt Russia’s war economy.

Located in the northern Caspian Sea, the Vladimir Filanovsky field is considered Russia’s largest post-Soviet offshore discovery, according to the Dutch energy platform Offshore Energy. Lukoil discovered the field in 2005, with commercial operations beginning in 2016.

The field’s estimated reserves include 129 million tons of oil and 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas. Exports flow through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium—an essential route also used for Kazakhstan’s oil exports.

Ukraine has intensified its long-range drone operations throughout 2024–2025, striking deep into Russian territory as part of a strategy to erode Russia’s military capabilities and economic infrastructure. While the exact impact of these strikes on Russia’s front-line operations remains uncertain, they reflect Kyiv’s determination to counter Moscow’s advantages in manpower and resources.

The hit on the Filanovsky field marks a new milestone in Ukraine’s campaign, extending its reach into previously untouched regions of Russia’s energy network. (ILKHA)