All articles tagged with #russia ukraine conflict
Ukraine says its drones hit the Volgograd oil refinery, damaging several refining units and forcing production to halt; the Lukoil-owned plant is a key fuel hub for Russia’s front-line logistics and the Black Sea Fleet, and has been targeted in prior attacks.
Russia told U.S. diplomats and other foreign citizens to evacuate Kyiv after Moscow said it would launch systematic and consistent strikes on Ukrainian military facilities and so-called decision-making centers, a warning Lavrov conveyed to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The move follows stalled peace talks and highlights the ongoing threat to Kyiv amid Russia’s invasion, with U.S. officials saying talks aren’t ongoing but could resume if constructive; other leaders have suggested a possible end to the conflict, though fighting persists.
President Zelenskyy urged European Union leaders to begin Ukraine’s formal accession process now, arguing that associate membership would be unfair and leave Kyiv voiceless. The push follows shifts in Hungary that had blocked entry, while Kyiv wages a war with Moscow, reporting territorial gains and calls for diplomacy even as both sides strike energy infrastructure and repeat warnings of retaliation for attacks.
Russia struck Ukraine’s Izmail on the Danube, damaging port infrastructure at a key grain-export hub, while Moscow said it downed four Ukrainian drones headed toward Moscow. Ukrainian air defenses reportedly destroyed most drones outside populated areas, with a fire in Izmail and additional strikes affecting Kharkiv, Kursk, Rostov and Yaroslavl regions. The flare-up occurs amid stalled ceasefire talks and ahead of Putin’s Beijing visit, as Russia conducts drills for nuclear forces and Ukraine reports declines in refining capacity due to attacks.
Russia launched a large night-time strike against Ukraine with roughly 546 drones and missiles, including 14 ballistic missiles; Ukraine claimed it shot down most missiles and drones but said strikes damaged civilian infrastructure in Dnipro, Dnipropetrovsk, Odesa and other areas. Ukraine announced its first domestically produced guided glide bomb (250 kg payload) ready for combat, signaling a boost to battlefield air interdiction. The Russian economy remains strained by war costs, sanctions, and shrinking oil refining capacity, with a large deficit and liquidity pressures. Kremlin leadership rotation discussions surfaced, with reports that Alexander Lapin could replace Andrei Kartapolov as defense committee chair. Belarus and Russia began joint nuclear exercises, illustrating deeper military integration. On the battlefield, Ukrainian forces reported advances in the Oleksandrivka direction and continued long-range strikes against Russian oil infrastructure, which undermines Moscow’s revenues.
Putin frames March 2026 data as ‘restrained but positive’ growth, but independent observers say early 2026 GDP fell year‑on‑year while deficits rose and war spending crowded out private activity; VAT hikes and rising borrowing underline the strain. Ukraine’s SZRU reports Russia has already exceeded its 2026 deficit plan, with regional governments boosting military recruitment spending and social costs. On the battlefield, Russia conducts long-range strikes and infiltration across Kharkiv, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Crimea sectors; Ukraine strikes oil refineries and naval assets, while a 1000-for-1000 prisoner exchange is completed. Analysts say Moscow’s apparent gains rely on state spending and war demand rather than private growth, and sanctions relief could amplify missile threats to Ukraine.
A Russian cruise-missile strike hit a nine-story Kyiv apartment building, killing 24 people (including three teenagers) and wounding about 48 as Ukraine faced its largest barrage since the invasion; rescue workers spent more than a day digging through rubble, and President Zelenskyy visited the site to urge continued international support.
Ukrainian drones reportedly struck Russia’s energy infrastructure overnight, sparking a massive fire at the Ryazan oil refinery and causing casualties per local officials, as drones were reportedly downed elsewhere; the attack reflects a broader pattern of targeting Russia’s oil assets, though verification of details remains limited.
Russia launched a prolonged, multi‑wave drone-and-missile assault across Ukraine using a new Shahed tactic to overwhelm air defenses; Ukrainian intelligence warned Moscow could later unleash cruise and ballistic missiles against critical infrastructure and major cities, with civilian casualties and power outages reported in several regions and a drone incursion into Moldova, while Ukraine’s forces shot down or suppressed many drones overnight.
ISW’s May 11 update notes that fighting remained limited on the final day of the May 9–11 ceasefire, with both sides accusing the other of violations; no long-range strikes were reported, but Russian forces pressed with artillery and drones (notably Molniya) across multiple sectors while Ukrainian forces conducted counterattacks and drone activity in Donbas. Reports of Ukrainian Hornet/Molniya drone activity near occupied Mariupol alarm milbloggers about expanding rear-area interference and battlefield air interdiction. Separately, Ukraine says Russia targeted rear infrastructure such as a Perm oil facility and there were infiltration attempts in Sumy Oblast; Russia continues air, missile, and drone campaigns with Kh-101 variants and BM-35/70 drones. The briefing emphasizes that ceasefires without credible enforcement, monitoring, and dispute resolution are unlikely to hold.
The Kremlin warned that any Ukraine peace settlement will stall unless Kyiv withdraws its forces from Donbas, signaling continued deadlock even as Washington stays engaged. Yuri Ushakov said the stance is unchanged and predicted US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will return to Moscow, while talks on a 20-point framework continue amid disputes over Donbas sovereignty and Zaporizhzhia, with a three-day ceasefire expiring May 11 and a prisoner exchange ongoing.
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) says it struck the Lukoil-Permnefteorgsintez refinery and a nearby pumping station in Perm, Russia—more than 1,500 km from Ukraine—marking the refinery’s third strike. The attack reportedly caused a fire at a primary oil processing unit and damaged a storage tank, part of Kyiv’s broader effort to disrupt Russia’s fuel supply and military logistics.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced a three-day ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war for May 9–11 on Truth Social, including a 1,000-prisoner swap, as Ukraine proposed an open-ended ceasefire and peace talks with Moscow remain stalled over Donetsk.
Telegram channels reported Ukrainian drones struck a Russian Defense Ministry logistics facility in Naro-Fominsk, Moscow Oblast, overnight May 7, but the Kyiv Independent could not verify the claim, underscoring ongoing cross-border strikes on Russian military infrastructure amid the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
Russia warned Kyiv it could launch massive retaliatory strikes against Ukrainian targets if Ukraine disrupts Victory Day, as Moscow scales back this year’s May 9 parade amid drone threats and heightened security; Zelensky called the move cynical, and the episode underscores Moscow’s security dilemma—projecting strength while grappling with air-defense gaps and using diplomatic evacuations to deter disruption.