Ukrainian drones struck one of Russia’s largest oil refineries overnight, igniting a large fire and adding pressure to Russia’s growing fuel crisis, Ukrainian military officials confirmed Saturday.
Russia on Friday dismissed a Western plan to provide Ukraine with long-term security guarantees, even as more than two dozen countries pledged troops and resources to a proposed “reassurance force” after any eventual peace deal. The announcement followed a Paris summit hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and attended by Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky, with leaders from the U.K., Germany, Italy, and other allies joining remotely.
Russia unleashed a massive assault on southern Ukraine overnight into Saturday, striking residential areas and leaving dozens of civilians wounded just days after a rare and deadly airstrike on central Kyiv. The escalation comes as U.S.-led peace efforts continue to falter.
The United States approved a potential munitions deal with Ukraine that includes extended-range missiles and other equipment to use in its ongoing conflict with Russia.
Gasoline shortages are spreading across parts of Russia after a series of successful Ukrainian drone strikes damaged key oil infrastructure. With at least 12 strikes between August 2 and August 24, mostly targeting refineries in the Ryazan-Volgograd corridor, Russia’s fuel supply chain is under mounting stress.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry sharply condemned American filmmaker Woody Allen on Monday for participating virtually in the Moscow International Film Week, a film festival held in Russia. Allen’s video appearance drew strong rebuke from Kyiv, which labeled it “a disgrace and an insult” to Ukrainians suffering under Russia’s ongoing invasion.
On the 34th anniversary of its independence, Ukraine was accused by Russia of launching drone attacks that triggered a fire at a nuclear power plant in Russia’s western Kursk region. Russian officials said the overnight strike targeted multiple energy facilities, including the Kursk nuclear plant, where a transformer caught fire. The blaze was quickly extinguished and no injuries were reported. Radiation levels remained normal, according to plant authorities.
In one of the most aggressive assaults of its war with Ukraine, Russia launched a strike near NATO with 614 drones, ballistic, and cruise missiles, striking deep into Ukraine and destroying an American-owned business less than an hour from two NATO borders.
