Ukrainian Special Operations Forces struck three drilling rigs operated by the Russian Lukoil in the Caspian Sea.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported the attacks.
The platforms targeted were the V. Filanovsky, Yuri Korchagin, and Valery Greifer facilities. These sites reportedly supported the Russian invasion forces.
According to the General Staff, the rigs were struck, but the extent of the damage is still being assessed.
At the same time, NASA FIRMS satellite fire-monitoring data show no signs of fire at the V. Filanovsky platform in the northern Caspian Sea.
A similar situation applies to the Yuri Korchagin and Valery Greifer platforms, suggesting the drones may have hit the hulls without igniting or depressurizing oil or gas products.
The Russian Ministry of Defense indirectly confirmed the attacks, stating that seven drones were allegedly intercepted over the Caspian Sea.
The Special Operations Forces press service reported that its units carried out the operation on the night of January 11.
The only Ukrainian units operating in the Caspian region are the Special Operations Forces. They previously struck the only patrol ship in the area, the Rasul Gamzatov, a Project 22460 Okhotnik-class vessel.
In December 2025, Special Unit “A” of the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) conducted a series of successful attacks on local production infrastructure. The drilling platforms were hit on December 11, 12, 15, and 19.
The V. Filanovsky, Yuri Korchagin, and Valery Greifer platforms were repeatedly targeted. According to the SSU, these facilities stopped operating following the strikes.
New attacks by Ukrainian forces are likely aimed at preventing repair work and causing additional damage, increasing the cost and time required to restore the platforms.
Additionally, the General Staff reported the destruction of a Buk-M3 anti-aircraft missile system launcher near Baranycheve in the Luhansk region, with a confirmed detonation.
Ukrainian forces also destroyed the Russian 49th Combined Arms Army’s materiel and technical supplies near Novotroitske in the Kherson region to reduce the enemy’s logistical and combat capabilities.
The V. Filanovsky field is one of the largest in Russia and the Russian Caspian sector, with estimated reserves of around 129 million tons of oil and 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas.
Oil was first produced on August 4, 2016, and within two years, output reached the design capacity of 6 million tons per year. The oil is high-quality, with a low sulfur content.
The infrastructure of the V. Filanovsky field supports other Caspian projects.
Production from the Valery Greifer and Yuri Kuvykin fields was planned for processing on the V. Filanovsky central platform and subsequent transport via the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) for export.
The Yuri Korchagin field, discovered in 2000, was Lukoil’s first Caspian project to enter commercial operation, beginning oil production in 2010.
The field’s balance reserves are estimated at 77.8 million tons of oil, with maximum annual production of 2.3 million tons of oil and condensate, and 1.2 billion cubic meters of natural gas.
Source: Militarnyi
