(KYIV) – Ukraine has struck a major oil refinery in Tatarstan and Russia’s largest petrochemical complex in Tyumen, as Ukrainian intelligence reports that up to 50,000 North Korean citizens are being sent to Russia to replenish depleted forces and provide factory labour.
The Taneco refinery in Tatarstan was hit overnight, with verified video showing a large fire in the distance. The facility was previously struck on 12 June of this year but has not been a frequent target, suggesting a new priority for Ukrainian drone operations. The petrochemical plant in Tobolsk, Tyumen Oblast, approximately 2,000 kilometres from Ukraine, was also set ablaze. Video footage showed a tower engulfed in flames at the complex.
Meanwhile, fuel shortages continue to plague parts of Russia. Footage from the city of Sochi showed queues at filling stations, with delays in shipments causing intermittent shortages of both petrol and diesel. Russia is attempting to stabilise its fuel crisis with what analysts describe as short term measures.
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that 30,000 to 50,000 North Koreans are to be deployed inside Russia. “North Koreans appear on the territory of the Russian Federation from time to time. At first, we were talking about hundreds, then thousands. And now the decision has been made for 30 to 50,000 North Koreans to be deployed,” he stated. He urged the Republic of Korea to cooperate more closely with Ukraine, particularly on air defence systems and drone technology.
Separately, images and video of North Korean women arriving in Russia have circulated widely. Tsargrad TV reported: “Women’s brigades from North Korea are arriving in Russia. These girls will very soon begin working at sewing factories, on assembly lines, in kitchens, and on farms. Korean women are very disciplined, resilient, and most importantly, unlike migrants from Central Asia, do not try to put half a village of relatives on our welfare system. Ideal workers.” Advertised pay starts at 480 Russian roubles per hour, equivalent to approximately $5.90 (£4.65/€5.40), with the Kim regime reportedly collecting the wages directly.
In the Black Sea, Ukrainian special forces eliminated a Russian S-400 air defence system near Gelendzhik, south of Novorossiysk. Video initially filmed by beachgoers showed an explosion and fire in the distance. Ukraine’s defence ministry later released drone footage showing what appeared to be a small drone launched from a naval drone boat slamming into the system. The “Monguar’s Birds” unit claimed they also destroyed a Pantsir-S1, a Tor system, and Podlot and Kasta radar systems, though video of those strikes has not yet been published.
Satellite imagery confirmed the third confirmed hit on Russian electronic warfare stations designed to jam Starlink terminals. The strike occurred at an FSB border base, where a cluster of jamming systems was annihilated by Ukrainian drones. Russia has been deploying these systems near the front line to disrupt internet connectivity used by Ukrainian defenders.
Ukraine has agreed to halt drone strikes on non-Russian oil tankers linked to the Caspian Pipeline Consortium following pressure from the US government and American oil industry. The terminal in Novorossiysk handles Kazakh oil and gas under an agreement involving the American company Chevron. Ukraine said it would respect the arrangement, though questions remain given Russia’s continued attacks on vessels bound for Odesa. Video showed crew members, believed to be from South or Southeast Asia, aboard a tanker previously struck in the Black Sea.
The logistics lockdown on the land route to occupied Crimea remains effective. Between 20 and 30 Russian fuel tankers and cargo trucks are struck daily by Ukrainian mid-range drones. Video filmed by a Russian trucker showed a destroyed vehicle blocking the road ahead, causing a pileup of transport vehicles.
In a major assault, Russia struck Odesa with 11 missiles and 100 drones, hitting the historic city centre. A separate morning strike on a high-rise building in Kharkiv killed two men and wounded 21 others. Maria Avdieva, reporting from Kharkiv, confirmed a drone flew directly into a residential building. Kate from Kharkiv said: “Four families were sleeping there when a Russian drone decided to kill them this morning. I am old enough to remember when humanity used to consider such acts terrorism.”
A World Health Organisation humanitarian warehouse in Dnipro was destroyed by a Russian ballistic missile. WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus confirmed the incident but declined to attribute blame.
Moscow is targeting Ukraine’s gas extraction sites ahead of winter, aiming to make heating impossible for civilians. President Zelensky stated the United States will supply Patriot interceptor missiles monthly, but acknowledged the quantities would be insufficient given Russia is now producing 80 ballistic missiles per month and North Korea is preparing to supply an additional 120.
Ukraine is set to purchase 70 ATACMS and 12 M270 launchers from Turkey, though the deal requires US approval. New Zealand imposed a 36th package of sanctions against Russia. In Poland, citizens took to the streets in 22 cities to protest hate crimes against Ukrainian refugees.
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