Newest Refinery Assault Shows 'Absolutely No Secure Areas in Russia's Distant Backlines'
Ukraine's UAVs have hit the Russian Bashneft facility in Ufa, located around 1,400 km from the Ukrainian border, causing blasts and a blaze, per a insider in the Ukrainian intelligence agency.
This constitutes the 3rd SBU far-reaching assault in Bashkortostan in the recent weeks. Those operations demonstrate that there are no protected areas in the far hinterland of the Russian state.
Ukrainian President Calls On Trump to Facilitate Peace in Ukraine
President Zelenskyy appealed to the US President to broker peace in Ukraine in a phone call on the weekend.
"When a war can be stopped in a particular zone, then undoubtedly other wars can be halted as well, including the conflict with Russia," Zelenskyy stated, praising the US President's "outstanding" Middle East truce proposal and calling for the American leader to compel the Russian government into talks.
Russian Strikes Claim Lives in the Country
Russian attacks on Ukraine claimed the lives of five people on Saturday and disrupted electricity to parts of Ukraine's south Odesa region, as stated by Ukrainian officials.
Two people died within a church in the town when it was hit, as reported by municipal sources.
In Russia's frontier area of the Belgorod region, a vehicle operator was lost his life by a Ukrainian strike, per regional authorities.
Energy Repair Work in the Capital
Operations continued on Saturday to repair energy infrastructure in Kyiv, after Russian attacks.
Power had been recovered to in excess of 800,000 citizens by the weekend and the major utility provider said the main efforts to restore power was concluded though some outages continued.
Air Defence Operations and Drone Interceptions
Ukraine's air defences neutralized 54 of 78 enemy drones launched against the country during the night, the air force announced on Saturday.
Russia's defence ministry claimed it shot down 42 UAVs from Ukraine over Russian territory.
Cuban Government Denies Accusations of Providing Troops to the War
The Cuban government on the weekend refuted US assertions it has provided soldiers to engage in the Ukraine war, while affirming the government "are without exact details about Cuban nationals" engaged "voluntarily" or "within the troops of both sides".
The foreign ministry in Havana said 26 nationals had been convicted to jail sentences from five to 14 years for participating as mercenaries since September 2023 when reports emerged of Cuban nationals being dispatched to the front in Ukraine.
I Want to Live Program Discloses Data on Cuban National Enlistment
The surrender initiative, a official Kyiv program that encourages opposing fighters to give up, said in spring: "Our information indicates the personal data of over a thousand Cubans who signed contracts with the Moscow's troops in 2023-2024."
The Cuban foreign ministry said of those who might be engaged: "Undeniably that no individual have the backing, allegiance, or consent of the Cuban authorities for their involvement."
Kin of individuals who traveled to the Russian Federation in the year reported to Agence France-Presse at the time that their relatives had been deceptively recruited through promotions on digital networks.