Ukrainian drones have been striking oil refineries deep in Russia. The plume of smoke from the attacks was visible from space. It is causing toxic rain in tourist areas along the Black Sea coast. The attacks are aimed at cutting off Moscow’s oil exports, which Russia is using to pay for its war in Ukraine.

While the economic toll is not yet clear, the environmental impact of the attacks has been felt by Russians living far from the front lines. Ukrainian drones struck oil refineries and export terminals in the Tuapse region of the Black Sea four times in two weeks in April. Locals had to be rescued after the attacks caught fire. Smoke billowed into the sky.

The Tuapse region is at least 450 kilometers (250 miles) from the front lines. Tuapse Governor Veniamin Kondratyev posted a video on social media after the third attack on April 18. In the video, an emergency worker said that boiling oil had spilled onto the road, damaging cars.

Ukraine claimed on Thursday that an oil pumping station in Russia’s Perm region had been attacked for two consecutive days. The location is 1,500 kilometers from Ukraine. Russian media also confirmed the attacks through Perm Governor Dmitry Makhonin. But Makhonin claimed that only industrial infrastructure had been targeted by drones.

The Ust-Lugo region on the Baltic coast was attacked three times in a week at the end of March. The region is one of Russia’s major oil and gas export terminals. The area is at least 800 kilometers from Ukraine. Several weeks after the attacks, regional governor Alexander Drozdenko declared that the Ust-Lugo region, bordering St. Petersburg, had become a war front due to air threats.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky compared the attacks to international sanctions against Russia. The attack is seen as even more significant as Russia continues to boost oil sales after a global energy crisis triggered by Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Last Friday, Zelensky said the Ukrainian attack had been very effective. He claimed that Russia had already suffered losses worth about $7 billion due to damage to oil export terminals. He claimed a week ago that Ukrainian intelligence agencies had received information about oil leaks at major oil ports such as Ust-Lugo and Primorsk.

Experts say the drone attacks are also hampering Russia's oil refining capacity. Experts say that it is difficult for Russia to immediately get parts needed for repairs due to economic sanctions imposed by Western countries. Despite all this, the economic picture is unclear as Russia is taking advantage of the West Asian crisis. According to the International Energy Agency, Russia sold an average of 7.1 million barrels of oil per day in March. Russia is benefiting greatly from both increased export volumes and prices. Russia traded $19 billion in oil in March. In February, however, revenue was only $9.7 billion. “The US attack on Iran has saved both Russia’s oil sector and economy, which were in crisis in February,” said Chris Weaver, CEO of consultancy Macro Advisory Ltd.

He said that while there were large explosions in Russia, there was little damage to its oil infrastructure. “When an oil tanker is attacked, it catches fire and smoke rises. At first glance, it looks like a major attack. But the damage is not as great as it seems. But such damage will only delay supplies for a few days,” he said. “It will do less damage than an attack on a pumping station, compressor or oil loading infrastructure. In Russia, those infrastructures seem to be better protected than tanks.

Ukraine’s ability to attack deep inside Russia has also put pressure on Moscow’s air defenses. Similarly, while Russia claims to have the upper hand in the war, Ukraine has forced its citizens to suffer the consequences of the war. The Ukrainian Defense Ministry claims that its long-range targeting capabilities have almost doubled since the war began. “The Russian military did not expect such an attack until the war began. These drones, which are home-made and use very simple technology, have been very effective for Ukraine,” said Marcel Plichta, a PhD student in international relations at the University of St Andrews. “This kind of capability did not exist four years ago.”

Russian officials are usually reluctant to comment on major attacks. But the Tuapse attack and its photos were widely circulated in Russian media. Russian President Vladimir Putin, while claiming that the situation was under control, warned of serious environmental consequences. Russian officials said that high levels of benzene (a chemical found in petroleum products) were found in the air when the fire broke out. They warned locals not to leave their homes immediately.

Locals also experienced black rain. They felt oily, yellow droplets falling from the sky on their skin and clothes.

Local media published pictures of community dogs and cats with different fur colors. The oil spill affected birds and fish in the coastal areas. Russians were shocked by the condition of the Black Sea coast, a popular holiday destination.

Vladimir Slivyak, co-chairman of the Russian environmental group Eco Defense, said the attack could have long-term effects on human health and the ecology of the Tuapse region. “There is a lot of oil in the sea. Every storm in the next few years will bring more oil pollution to the shore,” he said. There has been no public reaction from the Russian public to the situation created by the attack. But this could change as the damage continues to mount. “There is a big gap between Putin’s words, the words of regional authorities and the reality. I think the Russian people understand this,” Slivyak said.