In a continuation of efforts to disrupt Russia’s war machine, Ukrainian drones struck an oil refinery in Russia’s Rostov region and a fuel depot in the Belgorod region, according to officials in the targeted areas. The attacks occurred as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy joined world leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden, at D-Day commemorations in France on Thursday.
Zelenskyy’s trip to France, where he is also set to meet with French officials on Friday, comes amid Ukraine’s ongoing struggle to hold back a recent Russian offensive in the eastern regions. The conflict, which has been raging for over two years, has seen Ukraine face shortages of ammunition and troops along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line.
The drone attacks on Russian oil facilities follow a warning from Russian President Vladimir Putin that Russia could provide long-range weapons to other countries, enabling them to strike Western targets. This threat was issued in response to NATO allies’ decision to allow Ukraine to use Western-supplied weapons to attack Russian territory.
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, stated that Putin’s comments signaled a significant shift in Russia’s foreign policy, suggesting that Russian weapons could be provided to anyone who considers the U.S. and its allies as enemies. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov added that the use of Western weapons against Russia would have consequences.
However, the U.S. military clarified that it does not control the missiles it provides to Ukraine or the targets, and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg emphasized that the alliance has no plans to deploy forces to Ukraine. Instead, NATO is focusing on establishing a stronger framework for long-term financial and institutional support for Ukraine.
The overnight drone attacks on the Novoshakhtinsk refinery in the Rostov region and an oil depot in the Belgorod region caused fires but did not result in any casualties, according to regional governors. These attacks are part of Ukraine’s increasingly sophisticated drone campaign targeting Russia’s energy infrastructure, aiming to deny Moscow revenue and exacerbate the pressure on its energy sector.
Meanwhile, Russia has been attacking Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, causing widespread power outages in an apparent attempt to sap public morale and affect military manufacturing plants.
As the conflict continues, Zelenskyy’s presence at the D-Day events in France underscores Ukraine’s ongoing efforts to garner Western support in what has become Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II.
Credit: AP
