On the night of August 20, operators of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, together with other components of the Security and Defense Forces, carried out another deep strike operation deep into Russian territory and in temporarily occupied territories. According to intelligence data, storage and launch sites for combat drones at two airfields were hit — in the temporarily occupied Donetsk and in the Russian city of Primorsko-Akhtarsk. It is from these sites, according to the GUR, that Russian military systematically launched drone attacks on civilian objects in Ukraine.
Damage to launch complexes and radar systems
As a result of attacks on airfields, according to the agency, ground elements of complexes and drone launchers were damaged, and fires broke out at the impact sites. Special attention in the report was paid to Primorsko-Akhtarsk: there, operators tracked and hit two expensive radar stations — 55Zh6U 'Nebo-U' and 55Zh6UM 'Niobium'. The destruction of such radar systems, according to intelligence logic, reduces the ability of Russian air defense to detect and track aerial targets on approach.
Strike on the 'Tamanneftegaz' fuel facility
On the same night, GUR masters, together with other forces, hit the 'Tamanneftegaz' marine terminal in the Krasnodar Krai, which, according to the agency, supplies fuel to the Russian occupation army. There is information about damage to the tank farm and elements of the main pipelines, which led to a large-scale fire at the facility. In illustrations of similar facilities, characteristic tanks with the marking 'FLAMMABLE' (ОГНЕОПАСНО) are visible, which highlights the high risk of spills and secondary fires when hitting such farms.
Systemic strategy of long-range strikes
The GUR emphasizes that the Defense Forces are systematically increasing long-range strikes on military and fuel facilities deep inside Russia. According to the data provided by the agency, only in the first half of 2026, 697 targets in the Russian Federation were hit by Deep Strike means, and a record 43% of Russian oil refinery capacities were put out of operation. It is separately noted that the strikes have practically paralyzed the work of a number of Black Sea ports through which Russia exports oil and grain.
Context and assessment
The presented information is an official report of Ukrainian intelligence; independent confirmation from Russian authorities regarding specific facilities on the night of August 20 is not provided in open sources at the time of publication. Nevertheless, the line of strikes on airfields, radar systems, and fuel infrastructure corresponds to the previously recorded dynamics: Ukraine is consistently targeting the logistics, air defense, and energy base of the enemy, striving to simultaneously reduce its strike potential and export capabilities.
