By zoey
Ukraine intensified its campaign against Russian energy infrastructure overnight, launching a series of drone strikes on oil and fuel facilities in both Russia and Russian-occupied Crimea, while President Volodymyr Zelenskyy disclosed new details about behind-the-scenes contacts with Moscow, including the role played by billionaire businessman Roman Abramovich as an intermediary between Kyiv and the Kremlin.
The latest attacks form part of Ukraine’s broader strategy of targeting Russia’s energy sector and military supply network, seeking to impose economic and logistical costs on Moscow as the war enters another prolonged phase marked by escalating drone warfare and deep-strike operations.
According to Ukraine’s General Staff, Ukrainian forces carried out a significant overnight strike on the Grushovaya oil transshipment base in Russia’s Krasnodar region near the Black Sea port city of Novorossiysk. The facility is regarded as one of southern Russia’s most important hubs for the transfer and storage of crude oil and petroleum products.
Regional Russian authorities confirmed that a Ukrainian drone attack triggered a major fire at the site. Emergency services were dispatched in large numbers, with officials reporting that around 130 firefighters and rescue personnel were involved in efforts to contain the blaze.
Authorities said there were no casualties but provided no immediate assessment of the extent of the damage inflicted on the facility.
The attack is the latest in a growing series of Ukrainian operations aimed at disrupting Russia’s energy infrastructure, which Kyiv views as a critical source of revenue supporting Moscow’s military campaign.
Ukraine’s military also reported striking the Krasny Yar linear production and dispatching station in Russia’s Volgograd region.
Ukrainian officials said the attack caused a fire at the facility. Regional Governor Andrei Bocharov acknowledged the incident but did not specify the exact function of the targeted installation, stating only that no injuries had been reported.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces expanded operations in Russian-occupied Crimea. Kyiv said drones targeted the Semykolodezkaya oil base, a facility reportedly used to store fuel supplies destined for Russian military units operating in the occupied territory. The strike sparked a fire, according to Ukrainian military officials.
Another attack targeted an oil depot near the Crimean city of Feodosia, further demonstrating Ukraine’s continued efforts to undermine fuel supplies supporting Russian military operations on the peninsula.
The strikes come amid increasing concerns in Moscow about fuel shortages and logistical disruptions in Crimea. When questioned about reports of fuel-related difficulties, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov acknowledged that challenges existed but said Russian authorities were actively working to address them.
“There are indeed certain problems at the moment,” Peskov said, adding that Russia’s Energy Ministry and other government agencies were implementing measures to stabilize the situation and maintain supplies.
At the same time, Russia reported one of the largest waves of Ukrainian drone attacks in recent months. Russia’s Defense Ministry said air defenses intercepted or destroyed 310 Ukrainian drones overnight. The drones were reportedly detected over several regions, including areas around Moscow, western and southwestern Russia, occupied Crimea, and airspace above the Black and Azov seas.
Ukraine also faced another night of Russian aerial bombardment. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia launched 155 drones toward targets across the country. Ukrainian air defense systems reportedly intercepted or neutralized 124 of those drones before they could reach their intended targets.
The ongoing exchange highlights how drone warfare has become a central feature of the conflict, with both sides increasingly relying on long-range unmanned systems to strike infrastructure, military assets, and strategic facilities far from the front lines.
In a separate development, Zelensky revealed fresh details about indirect communications with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Speaking in an interview with Sky News, the Ukrainian leader confirmed that Abramovich had served as a messenger between Kyiv and Moscow.
According to Zelensky, Abramovich traveled to the Ukrainian capital carrying a message from Putin regarding the possibility of future negotiations.
The Ukrainian president said the Russian side sought clarification about Kyiv’s position and wanted to understand what concessions, if any, Ukraine might be prepared to consider.
Zelensky said Abramovich conveyed that Moscow wanted to know “what we are ready to do” and had offered to return to Putin with a response.
The Ukrainian leader said he delivered a straightforward message. He reiterated his willingness to meet Putin personally, proposing that such a meeting could take place in any location except Russia or Belarus.
He added that the talks could occur either in a direct bilateral format or with the participation of U.S. President Donald Trump and European leaders.
However, Zelensky stressed that Ukraine’s territorial integrity remained non-negotiable. He made clear that Kyiv would not agree to surrender the Donbas region, large parts of which remain under Russian occupation.
“It was the key message,” Zelensky said. “We will not leave and we will not go out from our territory.”
His comments followed remarks by Putin last week in which the Russian leader disclosed that an unnamed Russian businessman had traveled to Kyiv and met Zelensky regarding a proposed personal meeting between the two presidents. Putin rejected the proposal, saying he saw little value in holding such talks under current circumstances.
While diplomatic channels remain largely frozen, the revelation about Abramovich’s involvement offers a rare glimpse into informal communication efforts that have continued despite the lack of direct negotiations between the two sides.
Elsewhere, Russian drone strikes overnight caused injuries and damage across several Ukrainian regions. Local authorities reported attacks in the Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa and Chernihiv regions.
Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said four people were injured in the Dnipropetrovsk region after residential buildings were struck. Emergency crews responded to damaged homes and infrastructure as residents assessed the destruction.
In the southern port city of Odesa, three people were wounded when a Russian drone hit a public transportation stop. Local officials said emergency personnel treated the injured while investigators examined the scene.
On the Russian-controlled side of the conflict, authorities in Crimea reported a deadly Ukrainian drone attack on a passenger train traveling from Moscow to Simferopol. Crimea’s Moscow-installed leader, Sergei Aksyonov, said the strike injured the train driver and killed the driver’s assistant.
Aksyonov stated that no passengers were harmed in the incident. Nevertheless, rail operations across Crimea were temporarily suspended following the attack. Rail operator Grand Service Express announced that passengers were evacuated and replacement bus services were arranged while authorities inspected the railway network and assessed the damage.
The latest exchanges underscore the continuing escalation of the war, with both Russia and Ukraine increasingly targeting critical infrastructure and transportation networks while maintaining heavy aerial campaigns.
As diplomatic prospects remain uncertain and military operations intensify, the conflict continues to expand beyond the battlefield into economic, logistical and strategic domains that affect both countries far from the front lines.
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