Ukraine says it attacked two Russian oil refineries 

Ukraine says it has carried out drone strikes on two Russian oil refineries as it continues to ramp up its air attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the military hit the Slavyansk and the Yaroslavl refineries, about 300 and 700 kilometres (190 and 435 miles) from the front line, respectively, overnight with long-range drones.

“We continue our operations that weaken Russia’s ability to wage this war,” Zelenskyy wrote on X on Sunday, saying each attack “means fewer resources serving Russia’s war machine”.

A fire broke out at an oil refinery in Slavyansk-na-Kubani in Russia’s Krasnodar region, Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said on his Telegram channel, and several houses were damaged by debris. He said one person was killed in the drone attack.

Yaroslavl Governor Mikhail Yevrayev also reported on Telegram that the region had been under attack from Ukrainian drones, and said exits from the city had temporarily been shut.

In the Belgorod region, another person was killed in the Shebekinsky district following 64 Ukrainian drone attacks in 24 hours, Russia’s Tass news agency reported.

Russia shot down “a total of 117 enemy drones of various types”, the governor of the Kursk region, Alexander Khinshtein, said. “Drones dropped explosive devices on our territory seven times”.

Last week, Ukraine used long-range drones to hit two oil facilities in Kerch in Crimea and the port of Kavkaz. Both are used to bring fuel to the Russian front lines. It also struck electricity plants, prompting the suspension of fuel sales in Crimea.

Its continued campaign of massive drone strikes targeting Russian oil refineries and fuel storage sites has affected the country’s economy, triggering fuel shortages.

As the more than four-year war grinds on, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Moscow is ready to renew talks on ending the fighting.

However, he stated that these would be on the basis of talks held in Istanbul in 2022, which would include Russia’s demand that Ukraine surrender the Donbas region, among other sticking points.

Russia’s Ministry of Defence said on Sunday that the military continued to make advances in its ground offensive on Ukraine west of Lyman, the RIA Novosti news agency reports.

It said it killed 30 Ukrainian soldiers and destroyed four vehicles, five unmanned robotic systems and nine drone control centres.