Ukraine Hits More Russian Oil Facilities & Black Sea Vessels, Zelenskyy Confirms
Ukraine Hits More Russian Oil Facilities & Black Sea Vessels, Zelenskyy Confirms
Ukrainian President Zelenskyy announces successful strikes on Russian oil facilities deep inside Russia and military vessels in the Black Sea, escalating economic pressure on Moscow. #UkraineWar
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed on Thursday that Kyiv has successfully targeted further oil facilities deep inside Russia during recent nighttime attacks. This marks an intensification of Ukraine’s strategy to cripple Moscow's wartime economy and create significant domestic pressure on the Kremlin.
These persistent strikes, which have reached hundreds of kilometres behind the front lines, have reportedly led to fuel shortages within Russia and caused considerable unease among the populace. Conversely, these actions offer a morale boost to Ukrainians who regularly endure Russian bombardments, often with limited air defense capabilities.
Zelenskyy, communicating via social media, specifically identified two key targets: a refinery situated in Bashkortostan, over 1,300 kilometres (800 miles) from the eastern front line, and another in the Yaroslavl region, approximately 700 kilometres (400 miles) from the Ukrainian border. In addition to these land-based targets, Ukrainian forces also struck two Russian military patrol boats in the Black Sea, according to Zelenskyy. The President also mentioned hits on vessels belonging to Moscow’s so-called "shadow fleet," which Russia uses to circumvent Western sanctions on its oil exports. Specific details regarding the extent of damage to these naval assets were not provided.
In response, the Russian Defense Ministry stated on Thursday that its air defenses intercepted 605 Ukrainian drones overnight across various Russian regions, as well as over illegally annexed Crimea and the Black and Azov seas. Meanwhile, Russian drone and glide bomb attacks across Ukraine during the same night resulted in the deaths of at least three civilians and wounded 22 others, as confirmed by authorities. Countries supporting Kyiv are actively working to supply more vital air defense systems, as Moscow's forces have recently intensified their use of ballistic missiles, which Ukrainian officials say only advanced systems like the U.S.-made Patriot can effectively counter. Concerns remain about the availability of Patriot interceptor missiles, with the "Iran war" reportedly draining global stocks, leaving Ukraine vulnerable to ongoing Russian aerial assaults.
