Russian Strikes Kill 10 in Ukraine; Kyiv Hits Russian Oil Infrastructure
Ukraine targets Russian 'shadow fleet' tankers and Leningrad region terminals as both sides intensify attacks
Quick Look
- Russian drone and missile strikes killed 10 people and injured at least 76 across five Ukrainian regions in 24 hours.
- Meanwhile, Ukraine struck an oil terminal in Russia's Leningrad region and two tankers near Novorossiysk, targeting Russia's shadow fleet used to evade Western sanctions.
- Russia fired a ballistic missile and nearly 270 drones at Ukraine, while Ukraine launched at least 334 drones at Russian territory.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Ukraine has conducted a series of successful strikes on Russian oil infrastructure in recent weeks, targeting export terminals in an effort to undermine Russia's economic capacity. Russia has responded with intensified aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities. The conflict has seen Ukraine increasingly target Russian territory with long-range drones.
Russian drone and missile strikes in Ukraine have killed 10 people and injured at least 76 over the past day, reports say. Officials in five regions around the country reported fatalities as Moscow continues to target Ukrainian cities with regular aerial attacks.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said an oil terminal in northwest Russia had been significantly damaged, while two Russian oil tankers were struck near the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiysk. There are no details on damage to the ships, but Zelensky said the vessels were part of Russia's "shadow fleet" used to evade Western sanctions.
Ukraine's military said a ballistic missile and nearly 270 drones were fired by Russia, but most were intercepted. Three people were killed in separate incidents in Kherson region, the governor said, while two died in each of Odesa, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions and one in Sumy region.
At the same time, Russia said Ukraine had fired at least 334 drones, with the northwestern Leningrad region heavily targeted. Export terminals there and in other regions have been targeted by Ukraine in recent weeks in a series of successful strikes launched by Ukraine on Russian oil infrastructure, which Kyiv says has knocked out billions of dollars worth of exports.
And on Sunday, Zelensky said infrastructure of the Leningrad region's Primorsk terminal, near Finland, had been significantly damaged, as well as three ships there. He also said two tankers were struck by Ukrainian drones at the entrance to the port of Novorossiysk.
"These tankers were actively used for transporting oil. Now they will not be," he wrote on Telegram. The post was accompanied by black-and-white video footage apparently showing a naval drone approaching one of the tankers.
Russian authorities have mostly downplayed the impact of such attacks, but the Kremlin is clearly concerned about the deep reach of Ukrainian drones into its territory. On Wednesday the Kremlin announced it was paring back its annual military parade to mark Victory Day - the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War Two, on 9 May - due to what it said was the "terrorist threat" from Ukraine.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Ukraine will continue targeting Russian oil infrastructure to degrade export capacity
Very likely · Within weeks
Russia will increase aerial attacks on Ukrainian cities in response
Very likely · Within days
Further scaling of Victory Day celebrations may occur if threats persist
Likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- What is the exact extent of damage to the Primorsk terminal?
- How many of the 334 Ukrainian drones reached their targets?
- What is the status of the two struck tankers?
