Latest Refinery Attack Reveals 'No Secure Places in the Russian Far Hinterland'

Ukrainian drones have targeted the Russian oil refinery in the city of Ufa, situated around 1,400 kilometres from Ukraine, triggering explosions and a blaze, per a insider in Ukraine's Security Service.

This constitutes the latest SBU long-range attack in Bashkortostan in the past month. Those strikes demonstrate that there are no secure zones in the far hinterland of the Russian state.

Zelenskyy Calls On US President to Facilitate Peace in the Conflict

Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on President Trump to broker peace in the Ukrainian conflict in a call on the weekend.

"When a hostilities can be ended in a particular zone, then undoubtedly further hostilities can be ended as well, including the Russian aggression," the President said, commending Trump's "exceptional" Middle East peace initiative and requesting the American leader to pressure the Russian government into talks.

Russian Attacks Kill Victims in the Country

Moscow's assaults on Ukrainian territory claimed the lives of several civilians on the weekend and disrupted electricity to sections of the southern Odesa oblast, according to Ukrainian officials.

Two civilians died inside a place of worship in the town when it was targeted, according to local authorities.

In Russia's border region of Belgorod, a vehicle operator was lost his life by a Ukrainian strike, according to local officials.

Power Recovery Work in the Capital

Operations continued on the weekend to recover electricity in Kyiv, after assaults.

Energy had been restored to more than 800,000 inhabitants by the weekend and the major power firm announced the main work to recover electricity was concluded though some outages continued.

Air Defence Operations and UAV Downings

The Ukrainian air defences neutralized 54 out of 78 total UAVs from Russia launched targeting the country during the night, the military reported on Saturday.

Russia's defence ministry stated it shot down 42 Ukrainian drones over the country's airspace.

Cuban Government Denies Claims of Providing Troops to Ukraine

Havana on Saturday rejected US assertions it has deployed soldiers to participate in the conflict in Ukraine, while stating officials in Havana "are without precise data about citizens of Cuba" involved "voluntarily" or "in the military forces of both sides".

The government department in Havana stated 26 Cubans had been given prison terms to incarceration from 5 to 14 years for mercenary activity since September 2023 when reports spread of individuals being deployed to the frontlines in the conflict.

Surrender Initiative Program Discloses Information on Cuban National Involvement

The program, a state initiative that encourages adversaries to surrender, said in spring: "Our information indicates the personal data of 1,028 Cubans who entered into agreements with the Moscow's troops in recently."

The Cuban foreign ministry said of those who might be involved: "There is no doubt that not a single one possesses the support, allegiance, or authorization of the government in Havana for their involvement."

Family members of Cuban nationals who traveled to the Russian Federation in the year told international media at the time that their family members had been misled into enlisting through advertisements on digital networks.

Teresa Perry
Teresa Perry

A seasoned sports analyst and betting enthusiast with over a decade of experience in the gaming industry.