Ukraine targets two oil refineries in Russia: Zelenskyy's 'war machine' message

As Ukraine continues its attacks targeting Russia's energy sector, it announced that two oil refineries were struck on Saturday night. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the targeted facilities were the Slavyansk oil refinery in Krasnodar Krai and a refinery in the Yaroslavl region.

In a post on his X account, Zelenskyy stated that the operations aim to weaken Russia's war capacity. The Ukrainian leader said, "We are continuing our operations that weaken Russia's capacity to wage this war."

Zelenskyy also emphasized that the long-range attacks target Russia's war economy, stating, "Each of our long-range strikes means a reduction in the resources serving Russia's war machine and another step toward peace." The post also included footage said to show the moments of the attack, in which thick smoke and flames could be seen rising in the distance.

The Krasnodar Krai Emergency Operations Center had previously reported that a fire broke out at the refinery in the town of Slavyansk-on-Kuban. The center announced that the fire was caused by falling drone debris and that a power line in the area was also damaged. According to initial reports, there were no injuries in the incident.

ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE UNDER FIRE

In recent months, the Kyiv administration has increased its attacks on energy facilities such as Russia's oil refineries, terminals, and fuel depots. This strategy aims to put pressure on the energy sector, one of Moscow's key sources of revenue, and its war logistics.

It is reported that the attacks have made fuel supply difficult in some regions of Russia and in Russian-occupied territories, leading to long queues at gas stations in some locations.

The latest development came after the Ukrainian air force announced that six ballistic missiles, one anti-ship missile, and 125 UAVs launched by Russia were shot down overnight. The statement noted that one missile and 14 attack UAVs hit 11 different locations.

In a statement on Saturday, Zelenskyy said that Russia had targeted 15 regions in Ukraine over the past week, launching 1,400 attack UAVs, approximately 1,500 guided aerial bombs, and 19 missiles.

News Source: 12punto