Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed on Saturday that drones operated by Ukraine successfully struck three oil refineries within the Russian republic of Bashkortostan. According to the president, these facilities process millions of tonnes of oil annually and are situated nearly 1,600km (994 miles) from the Ukrainian border. Reports from the Russian online news outlet Astra indicated that one of these drone strikes ignited a fire at a refinery in Ufa, the capital of Bashkortostan.
In a separate maritime engagement, Zelenskyy stated that the Yanina, a sanctioned Russian container ship, sank in the Black Sea after being targeted by Ukrainian drones. The president categorized the vessel as a facility that sustains the Russian war effort. Conversely, Russia’s state nuclear energy firm, Rosatom, whose shipping subsidiary FESCO manages the Yanina, asserted that the vessel was transporting civilian goods, specifically frozen food and construction materials.
The ongoing conflict continues to have severe humanitarian and infrastructure consequences. On Saturday, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, currently under illegal Russian occupation, lost off-site power for nearly two hours. This marks the 23rd such incident since the full-scale invasion began. Although the plant is not operational, it requires external power to maintain the cooling systems necessary for the safety of its nuclear materials.
In the occupied region of Crimea, Ukrainian efforts to disrupt fuel and power supplies have forced residents to queue for hot meals. In the town of Massandra, local administration head Oksana Madyud stated that workers are serving approximately 200 people daily, as many residents lack the electricity required to operate kitchen hobs. Residents like Marina and Alexandra described the difficulties of living without reliable power, with Alexandra noting she had gone 10 days without electricity before it was briefly restored.
Kyiv also faced a deadly barrage of missiles and drones between Friday night and Saturday morning, leaving at least nine civilians dead and 33 wounded. In the Solomianskyi district, a residential building was severely damaged, forcing rescue workers to evacuate 35 residents; two people were killed and eight injured, including two children. In the Darnytskyi district, seven people were killed and 14 injured following damage to homes and vehicles. Additionally, a Russian airstrike in Kherson resulted in one death and five injuries.
The impact of the strikes extended to diplomatic property, with the Lithuanian foreign minister confirming that their embassy in Kyiv sustained damage. While no injuries were reported, the building's windows were shattered, and solar collectors were destroyed. Kestutis Budrys, the Lithuanian minister, stated that the country would summon a Russian representative to protest the aggression, while emphasizing that continued support for Ukraine remains the primary path to forcing Russia toward negotiations.
Zelenskyy used the recent attacks to renew his urgent plea for Patriot missiles, noting that due to air defense shortages, Ukraine was only able to intercept one of the 27 ballistic missiles launched during the latest barrage. “Every package of ballistic missile interceptors saves the lives of our people,” the president stated.
