Latest Oil Plant Strike Reveals 'No Safe Locations in Russia's Deep Rear'
Ukrainian UAVs have targeted the Russian Bashneft processing plant in the city of Ufa, positioned some 1,400 km from Ukraine, causing explosions and a fire, as reported by a source in Ukraine's intelligence agency.
This marks the latest SBU long-range attack in the region in the recent weeks. Such strikes demonstrate that there are no safe places in the far hinterland of the Russian Federation.
Zelenskyy Appeals to Trump to Facilitate Ceasefire in Ukraine
The Ukrainian leader appealed to Donald Trump to facilitate a truce in Ukraine in a phone call on Saturday.
"When a conflict can be stopped in a single area, then surely additional conflicts can be ended as well, encompassing the Russian aggression," the President stated, praising the US President's "remarkable" Middle East ceasefire plan and calling for the President to influence the Russian government into negotiations.
Russian Attacks Take Lives in Ukraine
Moscow's assaults on Ukraine killed at least several civilians on Saturday and caused blackouts to parts of Ukraine's south Odesa oblast, according to Ukrainian officials.
Two civilians died within a religious building in Kostyantynivka when it was struck, as reported by regional officials.
In the Russian border region of the Belgorod region, a truck driver was killed by a attack from Ukraine, according to municipal sources.
Power Recovery Operations in Kyiv
Operations carried on on Saturday to restore power in the Ukrainian capital, after assaults.
Electricity had been restored to in excess of 800,000 residents by Saturday and the biggest utility provider stated the main work to recover electricity was concluded though certain disruptions persisted.
Air Defence Actions and UAV Downings
Ukraine's defense forces neutralized 54 of 78 total enemy drones deployed targeting the country in the dark hours, the aerial defense command announced on Saturday.
Russia's defence ministry claimed it intercepted 42 drones over its own soil.
Cuban Government Rejects Allegations of Providing Troops to Ukraine
Cuba on the weekend denied American claims it has sent military personnel to participate in the conflict in Ukraine, while stating Cuban authorities "do not have exact data about individuals" involved "on their own" or "as part of the armed units of either party".
The government department in the capital said twenty-six Cuban citizens had been sentenced to prison terms from 5 to 14 years for participating as mercenaries since the autumn of 2023 when reports emerged of Cuban nationals being sent to the front in the conflict.
Surrender Initiative Project Reports Details on Cuban National Enlistment
The surrender initiative, a official Kyiv initiative that urges adversaries to surrender, stated in May: "Our information indicates the identities and information of over a thousand Cubans who signed contracts with the Russian armed forces in the past two years."
The Cuban foreign ministry commented of Cubans who might be engaged: "There is no doubt that not a single one have the backing, dedication, or authorization of the Cuban state for their actions."
Family members of Cubans who left for the Russian Federation in 2023 told Agence France-Presse at the time that their family members had been tricked into joining through advertisements on digital networks.