Ukraine hits more Russian oil facilities, Zelenskyy says; air defence concerns grow
Ukraine struck more oil facilities deep inside Russia in overnight attacks, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday, as Kyiv continued its campaign to disrupt Moscow's wartime economy and exert pressure on the Kremlin.
The repeated strikes have caused fuel shortages and anxiety among Russians. Meanwhile, Ukrainian cities face regular bombardment, with Kyiv's depleted air defences struggling to counter attacks during what is now the fourth year of Russia's full-scale invasion.
The Kyiv region observed an official day of mourning on Thursday after a Russian missile and drone attack killed 17 people the previous day. The assault has prompted an increasingly urgent effort by Ukraine and its partners to secure additional air defence supplies.
According to the United Nations office in Kyiv, 1,396 civilians were killed and 7,978 injured in Ukraine in the first six months of this year. The UN said that was a 37 per cent increase from the same period last year and a 114 per cent jump compared with 2024, attributing the rise to more frequent long-range Russian aerial attacks.
Mr. Zelenskyy said he had met senior officials to discuss accelerating the development of Ukraine's own ballistic weaponry, similar to the rapid innovation seen in its drone programme during the war.
"Developing one's own ballistic capabilities and creating a new anti-ballistic system is a task that only a tiny minority of countries worldwide have managed to accomplish," he said in a social media post. "Ukraine has this capability." He said he expected the programme to produce results this year and next after overcoming "key challenges," including procuring critical components, technological cooperation with partner countries, and selecting production sites.
Ukraine said it hit a refinery in Russia's Bashkortostan region, more than 1,300 kilometres from the front line, and another in the Yaroslavl region, almost 700 kilometres from the border. Yaroslavl Governor Mikhail Yevrayev confirmed an attack on a refinery, saying on Telegram that drone debris struck the facility's oil reservoirs, sparking a fire. He added that three private houses caught fire and several residential buildings were damaged.
Ukrainian forces also hit two Russian military patrol boats in the Black Sea, Mr. Zelenskyy said, along with vessels belonging to Moscow's so-called shadow fleet, which Russia uses to evade Western restrictions on oil exports. He did not provide details.
The Russian Defence Ministry said its air defences shot down 605 Ukrainian drones overnight.
In Ukraine, drone and glide bomb attacks overnight killed at least three civilians and wounded 22 others, authorities said on Thursday. In recent weeks, Russian forces have repeatedly used ballistic missiles, which Kyiv officials say only the U.S.-made Patriot system can intercept. But the war involving Iran has drained stocks of Patriot interceptor missiles, leaving Ukraine more vulnerable to such attacks.
"We are working as hard as possible with all partners who can assist with the supply of interceptor missiles to protect against such insane Russian strikes targeting life, people, and civilian facilities," Mr. Zelenskyy said on social media late Wednesday.
He said he had spoken with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and Finnish President Alexander Stubb about urgently procuring interceptors from existing stockpiles. Mr. Zelenskyy said he and Mr. Rutte "coordinated our efforts regarding countries that have the necessary missiles and the capacity to help." Mr. Rutte wrote on X that he was discussing with allies "how we can continue to get Ukraine the air defences they urgently need."
