In brief
Ukrainian troops conducted overnight raids further into Russia, striking the Engels airfield and a key refinery in Saratov. Russian security services counter‑reported eight fatalities and recorded 635 drone interceptions, also citing attacks on a Wildberries warehouse and the Marine Forces. Moscow said its forces targeted two Ukrainian ports and vessels in the Black Sea. The front line remains largely static, but both sides are escalating strikes on strategic cities, energy hubs and logistics hubs.
Ukraine says it hit a major Russian oil refinery and an airfield that houses strategic aviation deep inside Russia. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy described the raids as "our long‑range sanctions" that cut the war‑financing arteries of Moscow.
The Engels airfield, 600 km from Ukraine’s border, was reported struck in the Saratov region. Ukrainian drones and unmanned aircraft sparked a blaze at the base, the site's commander later confirmed, noting the repeated use of Tu‑95MC and Tu‑160 bombers for missile strikes on Ukraine.
The raid also damaged a large oil refinery and an oil depot in Kaluga. Russia’s defense ministry said eight people were killed in the operations and that authorities shot down or intercepted 635 drones during the night. A strike on a Wildberries warehouse, Russia’s analogue of Amazon, was also cited as part of the assault.
In a separate exchange, Moscow said its forces hit two Ukrainian ports and two vessels in the Black Sea during the same overnight window. Later, Russia reported an additional strike on a postal terminal near Kharkiv, claiming one casualty.
The escalation comes as both sides focus attacks on major cities, energy infrastructure and supply warehouses, intensifying a front line that has remained largely static for months. The continued barrage of strategic strikes underscores a shift from territorial gains toward crippling the opponent’s economic lifelines.
Russia’s governor of Saratov, Roman Busrigen, confirmed the refinery damage and two fatalities on the airfield. Meanwhile, reports from the Samara region’s governor, Vyacheslav Fedorishchev, described the Wildberries warehouse raid as "yet another terrorist act" by Ukraine, noting no casualties.
