From: Transform Ukraine By Douglas Landro / September 13, 2025
How a Ukrainian strike on Russia’s oil lifeline and Moscow’s first attack on Alliance territory transformed September 12, 2025, into the most dangerous day since the invasion began
September 12: The Day Ukraine Struck Back
Picture this: at 3:47 AM on September 12, 2025, a Ukrainian drone operator somewhere near the front lines pressed a button that would send shockwaves through the Kremlin’s war machine. Nine hundred kilometers away in Russia’s Leningrad Oblast, explosions erupted at the Primorsk oil terminal—the beating heart of Putin’s energy empire. This devastating strike came just two days after Russian drones had violated NATO airspace for the first time since World War II, triggering the Alliance’s biggest military response since the Cold War.
This wasn’t just another day in a war that had already raged for over three years. September 12 marked the moment when Ukraine proved it could strike deep into Russia’s economic core while NATO finally launched its first major military response to Russian aggression against Alliance territory. By sunset, Ukrainian forces had achieved their most successful prisoner captures since 2024, American senators had introduced legislation targeting Russia’s child deportation campaign, and President Zelensky could claim complete victory over Russia’s northern offensive.
The shadow of escalation loomed larger than ever before, but for the first time in months, it was Moscow feeling the pressure.
The Billion-Dollar Gamble: Ukraine’s Deepest Strike
The mission began in darkness. Ukrainian Security Service drones, each roughly the size of a small motorcycle, lifted off from concealed positions and began their journey toward the Baltic Sea. Their destination: Primorsk, a sprawling industrial complex that processes more oil in a single day than many countries use in a month.
Voice of Ukraine 