Ukrainian forces launched a series of drone strikes against southern Russian energy infrastructure on Friday, hitting oil refineries and the port of Taganrog on the Azov Sea. Local authorities declared an emergency following the attacks, which forced the evacuation of several dozen residents to temporary housing.
Taganrog Governor Yuri Slyusar confirmed his visit to the port after the massive nighttime operation, noting that efforts to extinguish fires involving petroleum products were still underway. He admitted that the nature of the blaze meant it could not be contained quickly.
Beyond the port, officials reported that drones struck two oil storage facilities in the town of Azov and caused a fire at the Ilsky oil refinery in the neighboring Krasnodar region. Earlier, Slyusar said drones had hit two "oil storage facilities" in the town of Azov.
While no casualties were reported, Russia's defense ministry claimed its forces successfully downed over 370 Ukrainian drones, including some over the Moscow region.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged that these attacks are triggering fuel shortages and described them as a deliberate attempt to divide the Russian population.
The international reaction has been varied. During a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky this week, US President Donald Trump appeared to endorse the strikes, suggesting they represent an escalation that could ultimately help lead to an end to the conflict. Conversely, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov rejected the notion that military pressure would force Moscow into concessions.
The Kremlin said Ukrainian military pressure would not force it into concessions, calling the belief held by the White House that such pressure could lead to a peace settlement a "mistaken view."
Kyiv maintains that the strikes are a form of fair retribution for Russia's ongoing barrages against Ukraine and are intended to force Moscow to the negotiating table. Despite recent tactical successes, Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky cautioned on Friday that a turning point in the more than four-year war remains "a long way off."
Syrsky noted that while Kyiv's army has managed to halt Russian advances and reach a state of parity in the rate of movement across the front line, the enemy should not be underestimated. Summarizing the first half of the year, Syrsky reported that Russia's offensive assaults have decreased by half and that Ukraine has successfully targeted 697 locations inside Russia as part of its intensified long-range retaliation campaign.
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