Ukraine conducted overnight attacks on multiple oil facilities deep inside Russian territory, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Thursday, continuing Kyiv’s efforts to disrupt Moscow’s wartime economy. The strikes targeted refineries in the Bashkortostan and Yaroslavl regions, situated approximately 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) and 400 miles (700 kilometers) from the front line, respectively. Yaroslavl Governor Mikhail Yevrayev confirmed the attack on the refinery there, reporting that drone debris ignited the facility’s oil reservoirs, causing a fire that also affected three private homes and damaged several residential buildings.
In addition to these strikes, Ukrainian forces targeted two Russian military patrol boats in the Black Sea, as well as vessels from Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, which Moscow reportedly uses to circumvent Western sanctions on its oil exports. Details on these naval strikes have not been disclosed.
The Russian Defense Ministry said its air defenses intercepted 605 Ukrainian drones overnight, underscoring the intensity of the ongoing drone warfare. Meanwhile, within Ukraine, recent Russian missile and drone attacks have continued, killing at least 20 civilians and injuring dozens. The Kyiv region observed an official day of mourning Thursday following a Russian barrage the previous day that killed 17 people. Other affected areas include Balakliia in Kharkiv Oblast, where three civilians were killed, the Sumy region where 12 were wounded by glide bombs, and Kherson, where a drone strike injured six agricultural workers.
The United Nations office in Kyiv reported that between January and June of this year, 1,396 civilians were killed and 7,978 injured in Ukraine. This represents a 37% increase from the same period in 2025, and a 114% rise compared to 2024, a trend attributed primarily to intensified long-range aerial assaults by Russian forces.
Amid these attacks, Kyiv faces challenges defending against Russia’s growing missile and drone strikes. Ukrainian officials, including Zelenskyy, say the country’s air defenses are strained, particularly as stocks of interceptor missiles for systems like the U.S.-supplied Patriot have been depleted, partly due to demands elsewhere in the region. Zelenskyy emphasized ongoing efforts to secure more interceptor missiles from international partners. He reported discussions with NATO chief Mark Rutte and Finnish President Alexander Stubb aimed at accelerating deliveries from countries holding the necessary missile stocks.
Zelenskyy also revealed plans to develop Ukraine’s own ballistic missile capabilities and a new anti-ballistic system, highlighting this as an ambitious project that only a few countries in the world have achieved. He indicated the program could yield results within this year and the next, although it faces challenges related to technology transfer, critical components, and production site selection.
From the Russian perspective, Moscow maintains heavy pressure on Ukraine through sustained missile barrages and ground forces, aiming to exhaust Ukrainian resistance over time. Western analysts say Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to be counting on diminishing Western support for Kyiv and believes that Ukraine’s resistance will eventually weaken under the strain of continued military pressure.