Ukraine says it hit Russian oil refinery in drone exchanges; key talks loom

Al Jazeera

2 days ago

Ukraine's military has said it struck an oil refinery in Russia's Saratov region in an overnight drone attack, causing explosions and destruction, according to an army statement, as daily aerial exchanges intensify with diplomatic momentum to end the war in play.
Saratov's governor said on Sunday that one person was killed and several residential apartments and an industrial facility were damaged, but did not mention the oil refinery being struck.
'[Ukrainian] drones are targeting … deeper into Russian territory [than] in the past, where previous attacks have been focused on the line of contact in the south and the western parts of Russia,' said Al Jazeera's Osama Bin Javaid, reporting from Moscow. It is still unclear whether Ukraine's claims that it hit a refinery are true, he added.
Ukraine's military also said on Sunday that it had taken back a village in the Sumy region from the Russian army, which has made significant recent gains there.
Ukrainian troops have 'liberated and completely cleared' Russian forces from Bezsalivka, the military general staff said in a Telegram post. It said 18 Russian troops had been 'eliminated' in the fighting.
Russia's war in Ukraine is now into its fourth year, as European leaders have welcomed plans by United States President Donald Trump to hold direct talks with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, on ending the conflict.
In Ukraine, three swimmers were killed by unexploded objects in the country's southern Odesa region at two beaches where swimming has been banned, regional officials said on Sunday. The Black Sea region has long been a popular summer destination, but authorities have urged caution since Russia's full-scale invasion left mines scattered near its coast.
'All of them were blown up by explosive objects while swimming in prohibited recreational zones,' Regional governor Oleh Kiper said in a statement.
On Saturday, Russia launched a drone attack on a bus in Ukraine's Kherson region, killing at least two people and wounding 16 others, according to Ukrainian officials.
Another drone hit the bus as the police were responding to the attack, injuring three officers, the police added.
Russian attacks on Ukraine's Zaporizhia region also killed two people travelling in a car in the Bilenkivska community on Saturday, as well as a 61-year-old woman who was in her home in the Vasylivka district, a local official reported.
Ukraine's air force said it intercepted 16 of the 47 Russian drones launched overnight, while 31 drones hit targets across 15 different locations.
Russia's Defence Ministry said its air defences shot down 97 Ukrainian drones over Russia and the Black Sea overnight and 21 more on Saturday morning.
Europe stresses support for Ukraine ahead of Trump-Putin talks
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected any suggestion of land concessions to Russia as international efforts to end the war continue.
Trump, who had promised to end the war within 24 hours of reentering the White House in January, plans to meet Putin in Alaska on Friday, saying the parties were close to a deal that could resolve the conflict.
Trump is reportedly open to inviting Zelenskyy to Alaska, but there has been no confirmation as of yet. Putin has insisted the conditions must be right for him and the Ukrainian leader to meet in person.
The leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Finland, together with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, on Sunday issued a joint statement welcoming Trump's efforts, while stressing the need to maintain support for Ukraine and pressure on Russia.
'The emphasis [of the European statement was] … that this is a war that is in Ukraine, but is in Europe too, and has huge potential ramifications for European security,' said Al Jazeera's Charles Stratford, reporting from Ukraine's capital of Kyiv.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that European officials who met US Vice President JD Vance in the UK on Saturday had presented a counterproposal for peace, which included demands that a ceasefire must take place before any other steps are taken.
The proposal also said that any territory exchanges must be reciprocal, with firm security guarantees.