Ukraine drones strike Russian oil facilities, set tankers ablaze
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- Ukrainian drones struck an oil depot in Russia's western Tver region and set reservoirs ablaze in the Stavropol region's Vyazniki, prompting authorities to evacuate residents from nearby apartment buildings as the fire expanded.
- Two oil tankers caught fire in the Sea of Azov after Ukrainian drone strikes, with one still burning and crews evacuated, part of an ongoing campaign to cut fuel supplies to Russia-occupied Crimea.
- Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces also hit a reserve fuel storage facility about 800 km from the front line, an oil-pumping station in Ufa roughly 1,500 km (930 miles) from Ukraine's border, and an oil-loading terminal in the Rostov region about 200 km from the front line, framing the operations as 'long-range sanctions' in response to Russia's refusal to end the war.
- Russia's Defense Ministry said air defenses downed 73 Ukrainian drones from late Wednesday into early Thursday.
- Ukraine's Air Force reported Russia fired 94 long-range strike drones and 2 ballistic missiles at Ukraine overnight; 72 drones were jammed or intercepted, but 19 drones and both missiles struck 13 locations.
- Trump told Zelenskyy at the NATO summit in Turkey that the U.S. will license Ukraine to manufacture Patriot air defense systems, a major shift from his February White House berating of the Ukrainian leader, and praised Zelenskyy as having 'done an amazing job.'
Why it matters: Ukraine's strikes now stretch more than 1,500 km into Russian territory, igniting a domestic fuel crisis with gasoline shortages and rationing reported across multiple Russian regions. Paired with Trump's pledge to license Patriot missile production, Kyiv gains a longer offensive reach and a long-sought defensive upgrade as Russia continues nightly drone and missile barrages that already hit 13 Ukrainian locations in a single overnight period.
