Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that Ukrainian forces struck a Russian oil facility in the Samara region as part of a series of “deep strikes,” adding the operation to a broader campaign that also hit a Black Sea target and a site in the Oryol region used to launch and store attack drones. The president noted that sanctions had been applied to the oil facility and a supply depot in Bryansk, and thanked his soldiers for “sending Russia’s sick war back to where it came from.”
The announcement came just days after U.S. President Donald Trump urged Kyiv to halt attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. Zelensky’s post on X included video clips of the strikes and reiterated that Ukraine would continue to deprive Russia of the means to sustain the war.
In Moscow, President Vladimir Putin spoke at the Valdai Forum, saying it could not be ruled out that weapons of mass destruction might be used and stressing the need to prevent such a scenario. He urged that the possibility be kept in mind and avoided.
Other developments included a suspicious package delivered to a Polish military police station that forced 130 evacuations and caused three hospitalisations, a UK‑EU call to release U.S. diesel stocks amid pressure from Washington, and reports that Russian jet‑powered drones are outpacing Ukrainian air defenses, prompting manufacturers to develop new interceptors.
Meanwhile, former world chess champion Garry Kasparov warned that U.S. and Lithuanian security services had told him his life was in danger after a suspected plot involving Russian intelligence. U.S. rapper Ye’s planned concerts in St Petersburg were cancelled, and President Putin expressed optimism that his upcoming APEC meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping would strengthen ties between the two countries.
