Ukraine attacked two Russian oil refineries and several other key energy targets overnight into Saturday, officials said, striking just hours after the United States granted Moscow another waiver allowing sales of its sanctioned oil.

Kyiv's drone forces commander, Robert “Madyar” Brovdi, announced on Telegram that the strikes hit the Novokuybyshevsk and Syzran oil refineries in Russia's Samara region, the Tikhoretsk oil terminal in Krasnodar region, the Vysotsk oil terminal at a Baltic Sea port in Leningrad region, and an oil depot in Sevastopol in occupied Crimea. Brovdi linked the operation directly to the US waiver, accusing Washington of cynicism and stating that the move carries a price tag of Ukrainian lives.

Russia's Defense Ministry reported intercepting 258 Ukrainian drones overnight but did not confirm the strikes on energy sites. Local authorities acknowledged the attacks: Samara region Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev said strikes hit industrial facilities with emergency services responding; Krasnodar officials noted a fire at the Tikhoretsk depot involving 224 personnel and 56 pieces of equipment; and Leningrad Governor Aleksandr Drozdenko reported a drone-caused fire at Vysotsk port that was extinguished by morning. No casualties were reported.

The US Treasury Department issued the waiver on Friday, April 17, permitting countries to buy Russian oil and petroleum products loaded onto vessels as of that date, excluding deals with Iran, Cuba, or North Korea. It runs through May 16 and aims to ease global energy price pressures from the US-Israeli war with Iran, following requests from Asian nations facing shortages. A Treasury spokesperson said the step ensures oil availability as negotiations accelerate.

This marks the second such waiver under the Trump administration; the prior one expired April 11 despite Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's recent assurance against renewal. Critics, including US lawmakers from both parties, argue the moves benefit Russia and Iran during their respective conflicts. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated it is not the time to relax Russia sanctions.

Russia's special envoy Kirill Dmitriev said the extension covers another 100 million barrels of oil on top of the previous waiver's volume. The International Energy Agency reported Russia's energy revenues nearly doubled to $19 billion in March from $9.75 billion in February, aiding Moscow's war budget despite Western sanctions targeting its oil exports.

Ukraine has intensified long-range drone campaigns against Russian energy infrastructure since mid-2025 to disrupt fuel supplies and revenues funding the invasion. Ukrainian General Staff confirmed strikes on four major oil facilities overnight, with fires reported. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has described these as essential pressure after easing sanctions.