Ukraine has conducted a series of overnight strikes deep within Russian territory, successfully targeting a major oil refinery and a strategic airfield. President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that the Engels airfield and a refinery located in the Saratov region—approximately 600km (373 miles) from the Ukrainian border—were hit during the operation.
Additional strikes were reported against an oil depot in the Kaluga region and a drone launch site in Bryansk.
The Ukrainian military stated that the attack on the Engels airfield resulted in a fire at one of Russia's primary bases for strategic aviation, which houses Tu-95MC and Tu-160 bombers frequently used for missile strikes against Ukraine.
Saratov regional Governor Roman Busargin acknowledged that drone activity caused damage to civilian infrastructure in both Saratov and Engels, later confirming that two people had been killed in the incident.
Russian authorities reported a total of eight deaths across the strikes, noting that 635 drones were intercepted or shot down. Further casualties were reported in other regions: three individuals died in a drone attack on a civilian vehicle in Udmurtia, and another three were killed in the Belgorod region.
Meanwhile, Ukraine reported that one person was killed in a Russian strike on a postal terminal near the north-eastern city of Kharkiv.
A significant focus of the recent Ukrainian strikes has been the logistics hubs of Wildberries, Russia's largest online retailer. In the Samara region, Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev described a fire caused by a drone strike on a Wildberries warehouse as a "terrorist act," though he reported no casualties.
Ukraine maintains that these hubs are legitimate targets, as they reportedly supply the Russian military with drone components, navigation equipment, and other tactical gear.
Wildberries, which employs roughly 48,000 people, has seen its operations impacted by these attacks, affecting many small and mid-sized businesses that rely on the platform.
In parallel, Moscow has intensified its own operations, with officials stating that Russian forces attacked two Ukrainian ports and two vessels in the Black Sea overnight. Additionally, the Ukrainian online retailer Rozetka reported that its largest warehouse was struck by Russian drones, though no injuries were sustained in that attack.
These reciprocal strikes occur as the front line remains largely static, with ongoing US-led mediation efforts failing to achieve a breakthrough in the conflict that began with Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
