(YAROSLAVL, RUSSIA) – Ukrainian forces have continued their sustained campaign against strategic targets inside Russia, striking a major oil refinery in Yaroslavl and launching coordinated attacks on military airfields in the south, according to official statements and verified footage.
Last night, a Ukrainian drone struck the Yaroslavl oil refinery, Russia’s fifth largest. According to the Firepoint monitoring group, the AVT3 primary crude distillation unit was hit, accounting for 40 per cent of the refinery’s total capacity. Local footage captured on a resident’s balcony showed the moment of impact. This marks at least the tenth time Ukraine has targeted this facility, which is located just 700 kilometres from the Ukrainian border.
The attacks are part of a broader strategy to degrade Russia’s war economy. Reuters reports that the Syzran and Saratov refineries have halted operations following drone strikes. At the Syzran facility, sources say the main CDU6 crude distillation unit, which accounts for 71 per cent of the plant’s processing capacity, was damaged. The refinery’s second unit, accounting for the remaining 29 per cent, was already under maintenance after an attack in July. The Saratov refinery, which had been shut down for weeks following earlier attacks, was on the verge of restoring operations when it was struck again.
The impact on Russia’s fuel supply is significant. A Russian news website reported that the government will extend its ban on diesel fuel exports until November. This domestic crisis is unfolding despite calls from Donald Trump for Ukraine to cease attacks on Russian oil refineries to lower global diesel prices ahead of the US midterm elections. However, as Russia is not planning to export diesel before November, this intervention is unlikely to affect prices. The fuel crisis in Russia appears set to continue, with long queues at petrol stations becoming a new normal.
In a separate operation, the Ukrainian General Staff announced the destruction of two Russian S-400 launchers in the Bryansk region. These same systems were reportedly used in overnight attacks on Kyiv. While no visual evidence has yet emerged, satellite imagery is expected in the coming days.
Ukrainian forces have also continued their systematic targeting of Russian military aviation. Footage released by the Ukrainian military shows an attack on an airfield in Rostov-on-Don, where an An-12 transport aircraft, two An-26 aircraft, and three helicopters were reportedly damaged. This is part of a sustained campaign over recent weeks against airfields across southern Russia, aiming to reduce the pressure of glide bomb attacks on Ukrainian positions.
The effectiveness of these strikes is evident in the disorganised Russian air defence response in Rostov-on-Don, where guns fired indiscriminately into the night. In a follow-up strike on Taganrog, a facility at the Atlant plant suffered a catastrophic fire and partial collapse. The city is currently without effective air defence systems after its Pantsir and S-300 units were destroyed.
Further strikes were reported in occupied Crimea, with the General Staff announcing a Russian Su-24 aircraft was hit at the Saki airfield. The extent of the damage is still being assessed.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian partisans claimed responsibility for sabotage at a Russian plant in Voronezh that supplies components for Kh-101 and Iskander-K missiles, disrupting production. The resistance inside Russia remains active.
In a significant blow to the Russian command, Major General Anton Grunis was killed in occupied Donetsk. The decorated general, who had recently reported the capture of Konstantinivka to the Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, was eliminated in a drone strike on his command post. Ukrainian drone commander Robert Brovdi, known as “Madyar,” announced that his unit, “Madyar’s Birds,” was responsible. The killing highlights the vulnerability of high-ranking Russian officers and suggests a potential intelligence breach within their own ranks.
The human cost of the war continues to mount. Russian attacks across Ukraine killed at least nine people and injured 36, including a drone strike on a minibus near Nikopol that killed five. The Russian dictator’s forces have also targeted a passenger train in the Mykolaiv region and border checkpoints with Moldova and Poland. In a strike on Kyiv, a Russian drone destroyed the warehouse of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s former TV studio, Kvartal 95, and another attack destroyed a humanitarian aid warehouse belonging to the Olena Zelenska Foundation.
The United Nations has said it is considering moving aid supplies underground after Russian strikes hit 10 of its warehouses this year.
Despite the hardship, Ukrainian resolve remains strong. A new poll by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology found that 77 percent of Ukrainians believe the country should continue its armed resistance even if it means living without electricity, heating, or sewage services for a period. Only 12 percent believe they should give in to Russia’s demands.
In a technological development, two Ukrainian companies have successfully tested interceptor drones against faster Russian jet-powered Shahed and Geran drones.
In political news, the United States has lifted sanctions on two Belarusian companies in exchange for the release of 25 political prisoners. Critics argue this rewards the regime of Alexander Lukashenko and provides a backdoor for Russia to circumvent sanctions. The US House of Representatives has also passed a bill granting President Trump more tariff authority to pressure Russia. However, the bill does not mandate any specific sanctions, leading to concerns from Democrats that Trump will use the power against allies instead of Russia. The vote saw 203 Republicans in favour and 152 Democrats against.
In a more troubling development, the US Department of Justice has charged five people in alleged Russian-backed murder plots on US soil. Members of a Russian intelligence services network were charged with conspiring to finance terrorism and commit murder for hire, including an offer of $40,000 to kill a prominent Russian dissident. This comes as FBI Director Kash Patel is scheduled to visit Russia next month to improve inter-agency cooperation.
Footage released by Ukrainian drone operators provides a rare glimpse into their working conditions on the front lines, often operating for 10 to 12 hours a day in cramped conditions.
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