By Ronald Stein, PE

October 4, 2025

Ukrainian attacks on Russia’s oil refineries and pipelines are sending a strong message to America’s national security team.

Like the biblical story of Goliath vs. David, the underdog Ukraiane is attempting to place a dagger into the heart of Russia’a military and economy, by attacking Russia’s oil refineries and pipelines.

Ukraine has launched a bold and unprecedented aerial counteroffensive against Russia that targets its critical oil infrastructure that is the foundation of its military domination. Ukraine knows that Russia’s military and economy are dependent on their oil refinery infrastructure for transportation fuels and the thousands of other products that are demanded by their militaries and economy.

Ukrainians know that just electricity generated from wind and solar, so-called renewables, are incapable of supporting the products and fuels demanded by the Russian military and economy.

Ukrainians recognize that the “weak link” to Russia’s strength is its oil refinery infrastructure, i.e., targeting these sites for destruction severs the heart of their supply chain or products and fuels to support their economy and the war efforts against the underdog Ukraine.

Russia’s oil infrastructure has taken a hammering after a string of explosions knocked out three major oil and gas pipelines. Ukraine has also stepped up drone strikes on Russia’s refining backbone with at least half a dozen refineries disrupted in recent weeks.

Recently, Ukrainian forces struck the Ilsky oil refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai and the “8-N” oil pipeline control station near the village of Naytopovychi in Russia’s Bryansk region. Both facilities are involved in the supply of fuel and products to Russian troops and their Airforce invading Ukraine, according to Ukraines General Staff.

In recent months, Ukrainian forces have intensified attacks against Russia’s energy infrastructure in an effort to put economic pressure on Moscow and undermine its ability to finance the war.

The “8-N” oil pipeline control station sustained multiple strikes, with a fire erupting near its pumping station and tank farm, according to Ukraine’s military. The strike was conducted overnight on Sept. 7 by Ukraine’s Missile Forces and Artillery and the Unmanned Systems Forces, in coordination with other branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The “8-N” facility is part of the Steel Horse” oil pipeline complex, which has a pumping capacity of 10.5 million tons and is considered strategically important for transporting fuel to Russian forces, according to Ukraine’s General Staff.

Ukraine’s top drone warfare commander, Robert “Madyar” Brovdi, said the “8-N” facility is also strategically important for transporting oil products from Belarusian refineries to Russia, particularly from the Mozyr and Novopolotsk refineries.

In America, the 131 refineries in the country are supporting the demands of the 350 million residents of the USA and all the military bases for transportation fuels and chemicals to make more than 6,000 products used daily.

With no pipelines over the Sierra Mountains, California is an energy island separated from the crude oil supply and the infrastructure of oil refineries within the other 49 States.

• Californias 15 refineries support the States’40 million residents demands for fuels and products based on fossil fuels.
• The other 116 refineries in America support the other 310 million residents in the country.
• All refinery sites can easily reach and exceed 1,000 acres of real estate.

Activities in California may be a prelude to coming attraction for Americans, i.e., activities that are leading to a national security risk for all those living in America.

• Over the last several decades, California’s passion to transition away from fossil fuels has overregulated and overly burdened just the SUPPLY of oil production and refining but has not reduced the increasing materialistic DEMANDS of the State for the more than 6,000 products and transportation fuels made from those fossil fuels. Thus, China is savoring the future with their many refineries coming online to meet the DEMANDS of California.
• Just last year, in October 2024, Phillips 66 announced that it would close its Wilmington-area refining complex this year, which will further reduce the state’s gasoline, diesel, and aviation fuels production capacity, wiping out more than 8% of the state’s crude oil processing capacity. Losing another 1.3 billion gallons in annual gasoline output will only worsen the state’s supply challenges to meet the demands.
• The recent announcement that the Valero Benica Refinery in Northern California will be closing by the end of 2026 was disappointing, but shockingly, a prelude to more closures in the future. The Valero refinery at Benicia represents almost 9% of the state’s crude oil processing capacity to meet the materialistic demands of the state’s residents.

The underdog Ukrainians that are attacking Russia’s oil refineries and pipelines are sending a strong message to America’s national security team as America’s crude oil infrastructure of refineries and pipelines have similar vulnerabilities.

Please share this information with teachers, students, and friends to encourage Energy Literacy conversations at the family dinner table.

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