Ukraine hits refineries, Russia strikes station and ship

Ukraine launched a strike on two Russian oil refineries located hundreds of kilometers away from the conflict zone, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky. Simultaneously, Russia targeted a train station and a commercial ship in Ukraine. Both nations have escalated their long-range attacks in recent months, resulting in a surge in civilian casualties.

Kyiv has intensified its drone attacks on Russia, while Moscow has escalated its missile strikes to a record high. Zelensky stated that Ukraine successfully targeted refineries in the Bashkortostan and Yaroslavl regions, approximately 1,300 km and 700 km away from the frontline. He emphasized the potential for diplomacy, urging Russia to choose peace and sharing a video of black smoke emanating from an oil facility.

The Russian defense ministry reported downing 605 Ukrainian drones during the night. The governor of Yaroslavl region, situated north of Moscow, claimed that 92 drones were neutralized in what he described as the most significant attack on the region during the war. In the Tver region, also north of Moscow, a drone struck a logistics center belonging to Wildberries, a prominent Russian e-commerce company that has been a frequent target over the past month.

Russian missile strikes on Kyiv the previous day resulted in at least 17 deaths and the destruction of retail warehouses, widely perceived as a retaliatory response to Ukraine's focus on Wildberries, dubbed "Russia's Amazon." The Kyiv region observed an official day of mourning in honor of the victims. Kyiv failed to destroy any of the missiles launched by Russia, prompting Zelensky to urgently request air defense supplies.

Fresh Russian attacks overnight claimed two lives at the Lozova train station in northeastern Kharkiv region. Additionally, a commercial vessel carrying Ukrainian wheat was hit in the Black Sea by Russia, resulting in one fatality, according to the Odesa region governor. Since the outset of Russia's extensive offensive against Ukraine four years ago, diplomacy remains at a stalemate, and both countries are intensifying their long-range strikes, leading to an increasing number of civilian casualties.

According to the United Nations office in Kyiv, 1,396 civilians were killed and 7,978 injured in Ukraine during the first six months of the year.