Ukrainian strike sets fire to an oil refinery in southern Russia

Ukraine’s drone assault ignites major oil refinery in Russia 1 of 2 | In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, a sapper examines a fragment of the Russian missile in a residential neighbourhood following an air attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP) 2 of 2 | In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, sappers remove a fragment of the Russian missile in a residential neighbourhood following an air attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP) Updated 1:25 PM MESZ, June 28, 2026 Leer en español Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine kept up its heavy drone assault on Russia, setting fire to a major oil refinery in the south and killing at least two people, Russian authorities said Sunday. Ukraine has markedly stepped up its long-range attacks on Russian military industries and energy facilities in recent months, aiming to cut Moscow’s revenue for its invasion — now in its fifth year — and make Russians feel the consequences. The campaign has choked Russian fuel supplies and military deliveries. According to Western analysts, it has also slowed Moscow’s efforts on the battlefield, heaping pressure on the Kremlin to come to the negotiating table. ✕ Independent journalism depends on readers like you AP has no shareholders, no corporate owners and no paywall. Help us keep our journalism available to anyone by registering for free. Create a free account Sign in to existing account How we use your information Help with registration Continue without registering “Tonight, our ‘long-range sanctions’ reached two oil refineries in Russia,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on the Telegram messaging app on Sunday. “Each (strike) means a reduction in the resources that fuel the Russian war machine, and another step toward peace.” Debris from downed Ukrainian drones sparked a blaze at the refinery in Slavyansk-na-Kubani, a town in Russia’s Krasnodar region, east of occupied Crimea, according to Gov. Veniamin Kondratyev. The falling debris killed one person in Slavyansk and injured another in a nearby village, according to regional authorities. Ukraine strikes industrial facility in Russia’s Volgograd as Russian drone attack kills 1 2 MIN READ 16 EU moves to prolong protection for Ukrainians but not new arrivals eligible for military service 2 MIN READ 18 Ukraine unleashes one of its heaviest drone bombardments of Russia 3 MIN READ 359 The Slavyansk site is one of southern Russia’s major refineries, processing close to 4 million tons of crude per year, according to its operator’s website. It is also a key source of petroleum products intended for export through Russia’s Black Sea ports, including fuel oil, naphtha and marine fuel. Photos and videos circulating on Russian social media showed a thick cloud of smoke over what users said was the Slavyansk facility. The Associated Press was not immediately able to verify the images. Zelenskyy also claimed that a second Russian refinery, in the Yaroslavl region around 700 kilometers (435 miles) from the Ukrainian border, was hit during the nighttime strikes. There were no immediate reports from Russian authorities about the Ukrainian strike on the Yaroslavl refinery. Local Gov. Mikhail Evraev reported on Sunday morning that some roads between Moscow and the region’s capital, Yaroslavl, were temporarily closed due to “an enemy attack by Ukrainian drones”. Yaroslavl’s airport also briefly closed overnight, along with others in southern and western Russia, according to the country’s civil aviation agency. Elsewhere, Ukrainian drone strikes killed one person and injured another in Russia’s border region of Belgorod, its acting Gov. Alexander Shuvayev reported on Sunday. Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces shot down 213 Ukrainian drones during the night, including over Russia, occupied Crimea and the Black and Azov seas. Meanwhile, Russia attacked Ukraine with 142 long-range strike drones and eight missiles overnight, according to the Ukrainian air force. Of those, 125 drones and seven missiles were struck down, the air force said. Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/Russia-Ukraine