Ukraine to target Russian refineries in retaliation

Ukraine plans to strike Russian oil refineries in response to Moscow's policy of targeting civilians to compel people to leave Kyiv and other cities, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Ukrainian intelligence has reportedly obtained documents indicating that Russian leader Vladimir Putin has issued a new doctrine targeting civilian infrastructure such as logistics, roads, schools, and hospitals to pressure people to abandon the capital and other cities.

Zelenskiy stated that the goal of the operation is to force people to leave cities. The Kremlin did not comment on Saturday. Meanwhile, Ukraine's ongoing counteroffensive, code-named Vivaldi, has recaptured around 140 square kilometers in eastern Donbas, a region Russia claims must be controlled for any peace deal. The US has been attempting to revive peace talks, but Zelenskiy stated that Russia has shown no interest in peace discussions or a ceasefire on energy infrastructure.

Since the summer, Russia has begun launching dozens of fast and relatively cheap jet-powered Shahed drones daily at Ukraine, which has struggled to defend against them. Ukraine has developed five models of new interceptor drones with a modest success rate of around 30% in tests.