MOSCOW: Russia on Sunday said that Ukraine conducted a major 62-drone attack on Russian regions forcing one oil refinery in southern Russia to stop.
It alleged that Kyiv’s forces had used U.S., French, and Ukrainian missiles at Russian territory.
Russia also shot down at least 103 drones, including 62 over Russian-controlled regions, as well as French “Hammer” bombs, Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) over Crimea, and U.S. High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).
Local officials said six drones fell into an oil refinery in Slavyansk in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region. Russia Interfax news agency reported that the refinery halted work after the attack.
Slavyansk refinery is a privately-owned plant having a capacity of 4 million metric tons of oil per year.
A Ukrainian intelligence source told Reuters that Ukraine’s security service SBU and military drones hit the Slavyansk refinery and a military airfield in Russia’s Krasnodar region in overnight assaults.
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The Ukrainian navy also claimed to destroy the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s Project 266-M Kovrovets minesweeper.
Russia said its forces had defeated Ukraine’s 24th and 42nd mechanized brigades and the 125th Air Defense Brigade at Lukiantsi, Vesele, and Radhospne in the region of Kharkiv.
Russia has reported an increase in Ukrainian attacks on its territory since its forces opened a new war front in northeastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv region earlier this month.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow was carving out a buffer zone there to protect Russia from such attacks.
Putin on Friday that Russia had no plans to capture Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-biggest city.
The White House has said that U.S. policy on not encouraging Ukraine’s use of U.S. arms against Russian territory had not changed.
Russia on Saturday claimed its forces had captured the village of Starytsia in the Kharkiv region and that they had defeated Ukrainian units.
