Key developments on Feb. 17: * Russia's Lavrov rules out territorial concessions as part of Ukraine peace talks * Ukraine strikes Ilsky Oil Refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Krai, SBU source says * Up to 30,000 European troops reportedly could be deployed to monitor Ukraine ceasefire, Washington Post reports * Zelensky hopes Kellogg will
"On the territory of an industrial enterprise in the Dzerzhinsky district, as a result of a UAV crash, a fire broke out in one of the buildings," Governor Vladislav Shapsha reported.
The drones allegedly targeted the Novolipetsk Steel (NLMK) which produces about 20% of the country's steel output, according to pro-Kremlin media outlet Shot.
The refinery, located roughly 200 kilometers (124 miles) from the front line, is a strategic logistics hub for diesel fuel and aviation kerosene used by Russian troops, Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation, claimed.
"Confirmed hit and explosions in the target area," the General Staff reported.
An attack carried out by the SBU and the Defense Forces set fire to the Albashneft oil depot in Novominskaya in southwestern Russia, according to the General Staff.
Ukrainian drones attacked energy facilities in Russia's Astrakhan and Volgograd oblasts overnight on Feb. 3, causing a fire, according to local authorities.
The plan was similar to Ukraine's cross-border incursion into Russia’s Kursk region in August 2024.
"This refinery is one of the 10 largest oil refineries in Russia in terms of design capacity and is involved in supplying the Russian occupatying army," the General Staff said in a statement.
"The railway loading equipment has been damaged. There have been no railways loadings, they stopped oil processing," an industry source said.
Key developments on Jan. 25-26: * Ukraine strikes drone storage facility in Russia's Oryol Oblast and destroys 200 Shaheds, General Staff reports * Rubio halts most foreign aid, including Ukraine assistance, Politico reports * Russia launched over 1,250 bombs, 750 drones at Ukraine during Trump's first week in office * Ukrainian troops avoid
Ukrainian Air Force units and Defense Forces struck drone storage facilities in Russia's western Oryol Oblast on Jan. 26, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported on Facebook on Jan. 26.
The reported strike comes two nights after Ukrainian forces launched a joint attack against the refinery that allegedly damaged multiple on-site facilities.
Local residents said a fire broke out at the distillery, which is located near a military training ground in the village of Novaya Lyada.
Chemical plants, refineries, the Engels airbase, and other facilities in Russia were successfully targeted, a source in the Security Service of Ukraine told the Kyiv Independent.
The Telegram channel Vechernya Kazan claimed that the strike hit a liquified gas storage area, setting gas tanks on fire. Russian authorities confirmed that a fire broke out in the city as a result of the drone strike but claimed that it resulted in no significant damage.
The Bryansk chemical plant produces gunpowder and explosives and is a key enterprise of the Russian military, according to Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's counter-disinformation center.
The government was originally expected to spend over 11 billion rubles ($106 million) by 2028 to equip 31 airports, including those in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Sochi, and other major cities, with drone defense systems.
Ukraine's General Staff said this combat operation "significantly reduced the enemy's ability to carry out airstrikes using kamikaze drones against Ukraine's civilian infrastructure."
Operations at the airport were suspended at 6 a.m. amid a Ukrainian drone attack allegedly targeting the Russian regions of Voronezh, Rostov, and Belgorod.
A fire broke out at the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in Russia's Rostov Oblast in the early hours of Dec. 19 following a mass drone and missile attack, Yuri Slyusar, acting governor of Rostov Oblast said.
The attack struck the Kamensky Combine, a chemical plant that produces rocket fuel for the Russian military, according to Andrii Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's counter-disinformation center.
Debris from downed drones struck two industrial facilities in Russia's Voronezh Oblast on the evening of Oct. 27, regional governor Alexander Gusev said via his official Telegram channel.
Drones attacked the Khanskaya military airfield in Russia's Republic of Adygea in the early hours of Oct. 10, causing a fire at the site. Local authorities have not commented on the attack.
One hundred twenty-five Ukrainian drones launched overnight were intercepted over seven Russian regions, Russian state-controlled media TASS claimed on Sept. 29. The drones targeted Volgograd, Belgorod, Voronezh, Rostov, Bryansk, and Kursk oblasts, as well as Krasnodar Krai, according to the Russian Defense Ministry. The Ministry also claims three drones were
Just before sunrise on an otherwise sleepy weekend near Moscow, a Russian eyewitness of Ukraine’s kamikaze drone attack on the Kashira Power Plant appeared stunned, unleashing an expletive-laden tirade with his wife alongside. "They f***g attacked the power plant! Wow, honey!" he said in a video posted on
