By Victoria Friedman
Contributing Writer
Ukraine said it struck two major oil facilities in Russia, including a petrochemical giant hundreds of miles away from the frontline, using long-range drones.
The Ukrainian General Staff of the Armed Forces said in a Tuesday Facebook post that overnight it had struck the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat oil refining complex in the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia.
The oil refinery, which is approximately 870 miles away, is one of the largest oil refining and petrochemical complexes in the Russian Federation, according to the General Staff’s statement. It produces around 10 million tons of oil per year and processes gasoline, diesel, and oil products used both for the Russian economy and for military purposes.
Ukrainian forces then struck the Afipsky oil refinery in the Krasnodar region, sparking a fire, the General Staff said. The refinery has a capacity to produce around 6.25 million tons of oil a year and is one of the key oil refining plants in southern Russia.
Russian authorities reported that drone debris had fallen at an industrial area in Salavat and that there had been a fire at the Afipsky oil refinery.
“Our warriors continue imposing long-range sanctions on Russian enterprises and facilities fueling the war,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a post on X.
He added that Ukraine had also delivered mid-range strikes on Russian interests, with the navy hitting a patrol ship and a shadow fleet tanker in Gelendzhik on the Black Sea, some 270 miles from the frontline.
“Successful strikes were also carried out against three shadow fleet tankers in the Sea of Azov,” Zelenskyy said.
“I thank all our warriors whose successful operations are bringing the war back to where it came from. This war must be brought to an end, and all reasonable diplomatic proposals are on the table.”
The Russian Defense Ministry said it had intercepted 288 Ukrainian drones.
Ukraine Boosts Air Defenses
Ukraine hopes to cut off supplies to the Russian armed forces through strikes on oil facilities. Similarly, Moscow is seeking to choke off Kyiv’s ability to strike oil sites with drones by hitting military manufacturing facilities.
Ukraine’s air force said on Tuesday that it had intercepted five Russian ballistic missiles launched overnight.
However, it said one ballistic missile and 25 drones had made it through, striking 17 locations, including a school and warehouses in Kyiv.
The Russian Defense Ministry said it was targeting facilities that produce drones and long-range missiles.
Ukraine likely used the U.S.-made Patriot surface-to-air guided missile system, which is the most effective way to counter ballistic missiles. But ammunition for the popular system has been in short supply.
This past week, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the United States would be granting Ukraine a license to produce its own Patriot missiles.
“One of the things we’re going to be talking about is we’re going to give a license to you to make Patriots,” Trump said on July 8 during a press conference on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey.
“That’s pretty cool, right? This way, he can’t complain that we’re not giving them enough. Let’s say, ‘make them yourself.’”
Zelenskyy praised the air defense systems, saying, “The Patriot system is the best, you know, in the world for today, the best anti-ballistic system.”
The Ukrainian president on Tuesday also struck a deal to use the European Union’s Ukraine Support Loan program to purchase French Rafale fighter jets and Franco-Italian air defense systems.
Paris and Kyiv said in a joint statement that Ukraine would order its first 16 Rafale aircraft out of a planned fleet of 100 announced in November. Training flights for Ukrainian pilots could begin as early as this year.
Ukraine will also buy four next-generation Franco-Italian SAMP/T-NG air and missile defense systems, receiving two older versions until the new systems are delivered.
Paris and Rome have also authorized Kyiv to produce Aster 30 interceptor missiles, with France approving production in Ukraine of AASM guided bombs and SCALP cruise missiles.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report
