(KYIV) – Ukraine has set a new record for long-range strikes, hitting a gas facility in Russia’s Arctic Yamal region, a reported 3,300 kilometres from Ukraine.
The attack on the Novy Urengoy gas condensate processing plant, which has an annual capacity of 19.5 million tonnes, marks the deepest strike of the war. The facility is a major link in the infrastructure that turns hydrocarbons extracted across Yamal into usable products. Ukrainian drone manufacturer Firepoint confirmed the 3,300-kilometre flight path for its FP1 drones.
Russian officials claimed the attack was repelled, stating that falling drone debris caused a fire and that there were no casualties. Social media channels in Russia, however, were flooded with demands for answers as to how Ukrainian drones could travel over 3,000 kilometres of Russian territory, reportedly unencumbered by air defences.
The strike on Yamal is part of a wider Ukrainian campaign against Russian energy and military infrastructure. Overnight, Ukrainian forces also struck the port area of Makhachkala in the Republic of Dagestan, roughly 1,400 kilometres from Ukraine. The port is a key node for Russian trade with Iran and Afghanistan, handling grain, metals, and military goods. With Russia’s Black Sea and Azov export routes already blockaded, pressure is now extending to the Caspian Sea. Makhachkala is Russia’s only Caspian port that does not freeze during winter.
In a separate attack on the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk, reports indicate that a Buyan-M missile carrier was disabled. The vessel was reportedly carrying Onyx and Kalibr missiles. Satellite imagery from OSINT analysts also suggests that the frigate Admiral Essen and the Admiral Makarov were damaged. The strikes are seen as a defensive measure to destroy missiles at their source, as Ukraine faces a shortage of interceptor missiles from Western allies.
On the frontline near Lyman, Russia’s most popular military blogger has publicly refuted the Kremlin’s claims of victory. The blogger, known as Rybar, admitted that Russian troops are in retreat and described Putin’s victorious reports as “fantasy.” He added that it is hardly realistic for Russian forces to gain full control of the entire Donetsk region by the end of the year. In a separate video, 15 Russian soldiers preparing for a one-way assault recorded a farewell appeal, stating their unit had already lost between 1,000 and 1,200 men and demanding criminal charges be brought against their commanders. Footage of the retreating forces near Lyman and the soldiers’ appeal were released by Ukrainian military blogger and open-source intelligence channels.
New economic data has painted a dire picture for Russia. August OPEC figures show Russian oil production has fallen by another 169,000 barrels per day, bringing the total decline since October 2025 to 700,000 barrels per day. Furthermore, Russia’s budget deficit for January to August has hit a record 6 trillion rubles (approximately $66 billion or £53 billion), the worst level since the collapse of the USSR. The deficit is being driven by mounting interest payments on war borrowing, with the prospect of further money printing on the horizon.
The fuel crisis in Russia continues to spiral. Residents in St Petersburg claim that 80 percent of stations lack gasoline or diesel, with videos on social media comparing the situation to “Mad Max.” In the Kuzbass region, officials held an emergency meeting on the fuel crisis and concluded that the source of the problem was a shortage of petrol stations, deciding to allocate land for more service stations despite the lack of fuel to sell. Meanwhile, the Kremlin is accelerating its seizure of private companies, reportedly nationalising the same number of firms in the first eight months of this year as it did in the whole of 2025.
In the Russian-occupied Georgian region of Abkhazia, growing dissent has been noted, with locals reporting an increasing lack of Russian troops. A video has circulated showing members of the Caucasus Legion, a Georgian volunteer unit, at the Russian border with a message of solidarity with Ukraine.
Elsewhere, Russia has continued its campaign of terror against Ukrainian cities. Densely populated residential areas of Kyiv have been targeted with drones and missiles in a 24-hour barrage that offers residents no warning. Alleged Russian sabotage operations have also been reported across Europe, including a second attempt to blow up an airliner, as well as targeting factories in Germany, Poland, and Belgium. North Korea has reportedly built a new uranium enrichment facility capable of housing 28 centrifuge cascades, a development made possible by Russian cash and technology.
In a final note, the iconic Ukrainian Marine Serhii “Borets” Udut, who was photographed cycling towards Russian armour during the defence of Kyiv in 2022, has been killed in a Russian airstrike while commanding a marine unit. He was part of the Tangri reconnaissance and sniper group under Ukraine’s main intelligence directorate and was described by a fellow soldier as “one of the finest warriors of the war.”
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