Ukraine resumes drone strikes on Russian refineries
The Ukrainian military resumed strikes against Russian oil refineries overnight on Thursday, targeting industrial facilities and a military airfield as Kyiv ended a brief pause requested by Washington, officials said.
Ryazan refinery targeted
Ryazan Governor Pavel Malkov confirmed a fire broke out at an enterprise in the regional capital, damaging a warehouse and several vehicles. Local officials reported no casualties, noting that authorities are currently assessing the extent of the damage.
The strike prompted municipal authorities to cancel classes in schools and kindergartens across Ryazan's Oktyabrsky and Sovetsky districts, The Moscow Times reported. The Ryazan plant, owned by state oil company Rosneft, is Russia's third-largest refinery, processing 17.1 million metric tons of crude annually and serving as a critical fuel supplier for Moscow.
Airfield strike in Voronezh
Ukrainian forces also struck a military facility in the town of Borisoglebsk in the neighboring Voronezh region. Ukrainian reporting channels stated that Neptune cruise missiles targeted the Borisoglebsk military airfield, allegedly damaging six Su-34 fighter-bombers.
Voronezh Governor Aleksandr Gusev reported that Russian air defense units intercepted 33 aerial targets across the region. Gusev said falling debris damaged several buildings and a vehicle, leaving no casualties, though he did not address the military airfield strike.
The Russian Defense Ministry said its forces downed 166 Ukrainian drones overnight across 14 regions, including Moscow, Ryazan, Voronezh, and Rostov.
Diplomatic shift
The overnight barrage followed an interview published by the Financial Times in which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Kyiv had paused strikes on Russian refineries for three days at the request of the United States.
Zelenskyy said he lifted the suspension after Russian forces continued targeting Ukraine's domestic energy grid.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
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