Ukrainian drones strike major Russian oil refinery in Leningrad Oblast, governor says

Russia’s defense ministry reported shooting down 361 Ukrainian drones overnight, including four guided aerial bombs and a U.S.-made HIMARS missile. The attack, part of a broader drone war, briefly sparked a fire at Russia’s Kirishi oil refinery in the northwest, although no injuries were reported.

Ukrainian drone forces targeted the Kirishi refinery, which processes about 17.7 million metric tons of crude annually, or roughly 6.4% of Russia’s total refining capacity. Ukrainian officials confirmed a successful strike on the facility, but the scale of the damage remains unclear.

The strike came amid growing international discussions on how to end the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, which has become the deadliest in Europe since World War Two. Ukraine’s increasing attacks on Russian refineries and pipelines reflect the escalating intensity of the drone war, with Russian drones also being downed in NATO-member Poland.

In response to rising tensions, U.S. President Donald Trump warned that Washington was prepared to impose new energy sanctions on Russia, but only if all NATO countries stop purchasing Russian oil and take similar actions. Meanwhile, the EU has decided to stick to its deadline to phase out Russian oil and gas imports by 2028, despite pressure from the U.S. to accelerate the process.

On the military front, Russia confirmed the launch of a Zircon hypersonic missile over the Barents Sea on Sunday and reported joint military exercises with Belarus, during which Sukhoi Su-34 supersonic bombers conducted strikes.

In the Bashkortostan region, local officials assured that oil production would continue despite a recent drone attack on a refinery.

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