Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday that Ukrainian forces had struck Russia’s Ufa oil refinery for the second time in a week, as Kyiv continued its long-range attacks on Russian energy infrastructure.
According to Zelenskyy, the Ufa refinery—one of Russia’s largest producers of lubricants—is located more than 1,000 kilometres from Ukraine, highlighting Kyiv’s growing ability to strike deep inside Russian territory.
The Ukrainian leader also said a missile component manufacturing plant in Russia’s Penza region, about 500 kilometres southeast of Moscow, was targeted during the operation.
Russian authorities did not confirm the reported strikes, which could not be independently verified. However, Russia’s Defence Ministry said its air defence systems intercepted 179 Ukrainian drones across 16 regions, including the annexed Crimea, as well as over the Azov and Black seas.
Penza Governor Oleg Melnichenko said debris from intercepted drones damaged a power line and landed on a building under construction.
Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russian oil facilities in recent months, targeting refineries, fuel terminals, storage depots and pipeline infrastructure. The campaign is aimed at disrupting fuel supplies and increasing pressure on the Kremlin as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its fifth year.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said the strikes had complicated Russia’s ability to transport troops and supplies to the battlefield.
“Russians now have great problems with delivering infantry to the front line and supplying it,” Fedorov said.
Speaking during a visit to Kyiv, Swedish Defence Minister Paul Jonsson described Ukraine as a key contributor to European security.
Ukraine and Sweden also signed an agreement on Tuesday for Stockholm to provide Kyiv with Gripen fighter jets, which Ukrainian officials said would strengthen the country’s ability to counter Russian aircraft carrying glide bombs.
Jonsson said European countries wanted Ukraine to become more closely integrated into Euro-Atlantic defence structures, although the country’s bid to join NATO remains under discussion ahead of the alliance’s summit in Turkey next week.
Meanwhile, Zelenskyy travelled to Ireland, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union Council, where he called for progress in Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union.
On the battlefield, Russian attacks continued across Ukraine. Regional officials said two civilians were killed and six others injured after a Russian drone struck a bus in the southern Kherson region.
In the central Dnipropetrovsk region, authorities reported that a Russian overnight attack on five petrol stations killed a 43-year-old woman and injured three others, including a pregnant woman. Ukrainian officials said Russian forces have increasingly targeted fuel stations in recent months.
