Ukraine’s military announced on Saturday that it had targeted oil facilities in Russia, which included a significant refinery, a military airfield for drones, and an electronics factory. The strike on the oil refinery in Ryazan, located approximately 180 kilometers southeast of Moscow, resulted in a fire on the premises, as per a statement by Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces on Telegram. Additionally, the Annanefteprodukt oil storage facility in the Voronezh region, bordering northeastern Ukraine, was also hit.
The method of the strikes on these facilities was not detailed in the statement, but the Unmanned Systems Forces are known for their expertise in drone warfare, particularly long-range strikes. Russia did not immediately respond to the reported attacks on its infrastructure sites, while its Defence Ministry stated that air defenses had intercepted or destroyed 112 drones across eight Russian regions and the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula.
A drone attack in the Rostov region on the Ukraine border led to one fatality, according to acting governor Yuri Slyusar. Further incidents occurred, with casualties reported in the Penza and Samara regions due to drone strikes. The Russian Defence Ministry reported downing a total of 338 Ukrainian drones overnight, although it did not specify the number launched. Ukraine’s air force claimed to have downed 45 of the 53 Russian drones launched at its territory.
In a separate development, the Ukrainian air force disclosed that Russia had launched 53 drones and decoys at Ukraine overnight, with 45 being shot down or jammed by air defenses. Governor Oleh Syniehubov confirmed that eleven individuals were injured in an overnight drone strike in the Kharkiv region.
The reciprocal drone strikes followed a day of mourning in Kyiv after a previous Russian drone and missile attack resulted in casualties. Ukraine’s SBU intelligence agency reported hitting Russia’s Primorsko-Akhtarsk military airfield and a factory in Penza supplying electronics to Russia’s military-industrial complex. As the conflict continues, Russian forces were said to have taken control of a village in the Donetsk region. Despite efforts for peace, ongoing clashes persist between the two nations.
President Trump has set a new deadline for Putin to make peace with Ukraine, with a special envoy being dispatched to Russia. The situation remains tense as Russian forces have made territorial gains in Ukraine’s east and south over the years.