On the 1566th day of the war, Ukraine launched new nighttime attacks in the occupied territories and western Russia, hitting multiple oil depots and power substations. Among the targeted sites was an oil depot in Novorossiisk, the largest oil storage facility in the Caucasus region.
Another oil depot was hit near Simferopol in occupied Crimea. A fire was observed at a petrol depot owned by the Crimean gas station conglomerate, ATAN. Additionally, fires at power substations were reported in Mariupol and near Simferopol.
A Ukrainian drone attack on a train traveling from Moscow to Simferopol in Crimea resulted in one death and one injury. The railway company operating between Crimea and Russia has suspended operations on the peninsula.
Meanwhile, Russia launched nearly 160 drones overnight, hitting a postal logistics center in the city of Kharkiv and several blocks in the city of Konotop, in the Sumy region, where at least three people were injured. Additionally, there are casualties in Odesa and the Dnipropetrovsk region.
At the same time, the leaders of the UK, France, and Germany have set five essential conditions for a sustainable peace process. The first two conditions require Vladimir Putin to accept an immediate and complete ceasefire, with negotiations starting from the current front line.
Currently in London for discussions with allies, Zelensky has already stated that he would accept freezing the war on the current front line.
It remains to be seen if Putin will also give up his rigid stance, especially as the conflict's evolution is increasingly unfavorable to Russia, and the crisis in Crimea caused by Ukrainian attacks deepens - fuel shortages worsen on the peninsula, and now some basic food products are starting to become scarce.
Moreover, Russian war bloggers are becoming increasingly dissatisfied and openly criticize the authorities for the situation on the front and for the increasingly effective Ukrainian attacks inside Russia.
Ukraine's Strikes
- Oil depots and stations set ablaze in Crimea, Mariupol, and western Russia - The Ukrainian army launched a new medium-range remote attack overnight on Russian and Russian-occupied regions, hitting multiple oil depots and power substations, as reported by Kyiv Independent. Images posted by locals on social media show thick black smoke rising from the Grușevaia Balka oil depot area in the Russian city of Novorossiisk, the largest oil storage unit in the Caucasus region with a reported capacity of 1.2 million tons of fuel. Another oil depot was hit near Simferopol in occupied Crimea, reported the Crimean Wind Telegram channel. A fire was observed at a petrol depot owned by the Crimean gas station conglomerate, ATAN. Additionally, fires at power substations were reported in Mariupol and Hvardiiske near Simferopol.
- Moscow-Simferopol Train Hit by Drone - A Ukrainian drone attack on a train traveling from Moscow to Simferopol in Crimea resulted in one death and one injury, announced the leader of the peninsula annexed by Russia in 2014. "As a result of an enemy drone attack on the locomotive of a passenger train on the Moscow-Simferopol line, the engineer was injured, and the assistant engineer was killed, according to preliminary data. The passengers were not injured," wrote Sergei Aksyonov on Telegram, without specifying the train's location at the time of the attack, according to Le Figaro. Grand Service Express, operating between Crimea and Russia, suspended its operations on the peninsula.
Russia's Attacks
- Drone Attack on Post Office - A logistic center belonging to Ukraine's national postal service, Ukrposhta, was partially destroyed in a nighttime drone attack on the city of Kharkiv, as reported by Ukrainska Pravda. No casualties were reported.
- Casualties in Sumy and Other Regions - Three people were injured, with at least one person believed to be trapped under rubble, after a Russian drone attack on blocks in the city of Konotop, in the Sumy region, this morning. A search and rescue operation is underway, announced Oleg Grygorov, the head of the Military Administration of the Sumy region, as cited by Ukrainska Pravda. Additionally, two individuals waiting at a public transport station in Odesa were injured in a Russian attack, and four people were injured in overnight attacks in the Dnipropetrovsk region. In the Chernihiv region, a drone attack set fire to a company's depots and several trucks.
- Over 150 Drones in Ukraine - Russian forces launched 155 drones overnight. By local time 8:00, the Ukrainian air defense neutralized 124 drones in the north, south, and east of the country. 20 drones hit in 17 locations, announced the Ukrainian Air Forces, specifying that around 10 Russian drones were still in the country's airspace in the morning.
Other Relevant Information
- 5 Conditions for a Just and Sustainable Peace - The leaders of the UK, France, and Germany have set five conditions that must be met between Kiev and Moscow to find a solution to Russia's war in Ukraine, as reported by Kyiv Independent. These are:
- 1. Putin must accept an immediate and complete ceasefire;
- 2. Negotiations must start from the current front line;
- 3. Ukraine must have robust and legally binding security guarantees once a ceasefire is in place, including the deployment of a multinational force to enforce the ceasefire.
- 4. Compensation for damages caused by Russia in the war, and Russian assets will remain frozen until Moscow stops hostilities and offers reparations;
- 5. European security interests must be protected in any agreement. Elements of any negotiations related to the EU and NATO would require EU and its member states' consent, as well as NATO allies.
- Zelensky Would Accept Freezing the War on the Current Front Line - Volodymyr Zelensky stated, in an interview with Sky News, that freezing the conflict along the current front line would be the fastest path to a ceasefire. However, he emphasized that any conflict freeze should be part of a broader diplomatic process aimed at preventing further aggression. "We want to stop the war in a way that it doesn't return," he said. When asked if such an approach would equate to accepting Russian demands, Zelensky denied. "No, it's not just about giving. Staying where we are means giving the Ukrainian people more opportunities to save their children and for the soldiers to return. I think this is important for us," he said.
- Crisis in Crimea Deepens - The gasoline shortage in Crimea worsens due to Ukrainian long-range and medium-range attacks, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). Gasoline sales have been restricted to 20 liters per vehicle per week, a significant reduction from the previous limit of 20 liters of gasoline per day. Additionally, Crimea is starting to face shortages of basic goods such as buckwheat, sugar, rice, and flour, according to the independent Russian publication Agenstvo.
- Russian military bloggers are upset - Ukraine's medium and long-range attack campaigns are causing dissatisfaction and panic within the Russian military blogger community, notes ISW. One of them, a former instructor of a Storm-Z unit, complained on Saturday that Ukraine is expanding its medium and long-range attack campaigns to target critical industrial and defense infrastructure, degrading Russia's radars and air defense systems. He criticized Russian bureaucracy and conflicts between the state and corporate personalities for Russia's inability to respond to the escalating attacks by Ukraine. The blogger warned that Russia is unable to analyze battlefield trends and underestimates Ukraine's current and future capabilities. Another blogger claimed that the gasoline shortage in Crimea is causing panic among the locals. Additionally, some bloggers criticized the Russian Ministry of Defense (MOD) and the Chief of the General Staff, General Valery Gerasimov, for not launching retaliatory attacks against Ukrainian logistics, especially against bridges over the Dnieper River.
- A drone exploded in the Republic of Moldova - An unmanned aerial vehicle, "possibly a drone," exploded during the night in the outskirts of the village of Lopatna, in the Orhei district, as reported by Ziarul de Gardă. According to authorities, there were no casualties in the incident, and the investigation is still ongoing to determine all circumstances.
- The Republic of Moldova aims to produce interceptor drones - The Moldovan government is preparing legislative changes to allow public-private partnerships and foreign investments in the defense industry. Moldova could even turn to Ukraine, which has developed one of the most advanced drone industries, amid the Russian invasion. Details HERE.
- A NATO exercise begins - NATO has announced the launch of the military exercise Ramstein Flag 2026. According to the alliance's Air Command, it will take place in several countries, including those bordering Russia. The main host nations for the exercises will be Denmark, Spain, Sweden, Norway, and Finland, as reported by Nexta. NATO states that Ramstein Flag is designed to enhance interoperability among allied forces, increase combat readiness, and test the alliance's ability to rapidly respond to threats across Europe.