Massive fires were reported overnight at several industrial sites across western Russia, as Ukraine intensified its drone operations deep into Russian territory for the third consecutive night.
According to multiple Russian Telegram channels, the NS-Oil refinery in Novospasskoye, Ulyanovsk Oblast, about 700 miles from the Ukrainian border, was hit by drones, sparking large fires. Videos circulating online showed thick black smoke billowing from refinery structures.
In Stavropol Krai, the Lukoil-owned Stavrolen chemical plant, known for producing materials used in military equipment, was also reportedly ablaze. Meanwhile, air defenses near Moscow intercepted several drones approaching the capital. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed that at least three drones were shot down, though falling debris caused small fires in surrounding suburbs.
Russian authorities claimed to have intercepted around 100 Ukrainian drones overnight across multiple regions, including near Moscow and border areas. As a result, flights at major airports Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Sheremetyevo were temporarily suspended.
These strikes appear to be part of Ukraine’s continuing campaign targeting Russia’s energy and industrial infrastructure, a strategy that has intensified with Kyiv’s new domestically made long-range drones. Moscow has labeled these attacks as “terrorist acts” and vowed retaliation.
Tensions Escalate After Trump’s Condemnation of Putin’s Missile Test
The latest wave of attacks comes just two days after former US President Donald Trump criticized Vladimir Putin’s test of the Burevestnik, a nuclear-powered cruise missile capable of traveling over 8,000 miles.
Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump called the test “not appropriate,” urging Putin to “focus on ending the war in Ukraine instead of testing nuclear weapons.” He also noted that the US “tests missiles all the time” and hinted that a US nuclear submarine was stationed “close to their shores.”
Putin, wearing military fatigues at a command center, boasted that the Burevestnik was “a unique weapon no other country possesses” and ordered preparations for deployment. Russian state media described recent nuclear drills as “a rehearsal for a first strike” if Western-supplied Ukrainian attacks persist.
Arms control expert Jeffrey Lewis commented on X (formerly Twitter) that while NATO could technically intercept the Burevestnik, “its existence signals another step in an arms race that benefits no one.”
Russian Retaliation and US Sanctions
In response, Russian forces launched missile and drone barrages against major Ukrainian cities overnight, killing at least four people and injuring several others in Kharkiv and Kyiv. Ukraine’s air defenses intercepted more than 40 incoming threats, but widespread blackouts and infrastructure damage were reported.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration recently announced new sanctions targeting Lukoil and Rosneft, Russia’s two largest oil exporters. The measures ban US entities from conducting business with them and impose secondary sanctions on foreign banks dealing in Russian oil.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the goal is to pressure Moscow into accepting a ceasefire in Ukraine. Lukoil has since begun selling its foreign assets, including refineries in Bulgaria, Romania, and the Netherlands, under a temporary grace period.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov downplayed the move, saying Russia’s oil “remains attractive and competitive” and that “countries will decide for themselves which products they prefer.”
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also rejected Trump’s proposed “frontline freeze” peace plan, claiming Washington’s position had “radically changed.”
The Growing Risk of Escalation
With both nations escalating Ukraine striking deep into Russia, and Moscow responding with missile barrages the situation appears to be entering a new, more dangerous phase. Experts warn that mutual attacks from Ulyanovsk to Kharkiv, combined with nuclear rhetoric from Moscow and economic sanctions from Washington, could push the conflict closer to a broader confrontation.
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