🔗 Share this article

Ukraine's drones have struck the Russian Bashneft refinery in the city of Ufa, positioned approximately 1,400 kilometres from Ukraine, causing detonations and a fire, per a insider in the Ukrainian intelligence agency.

This represents the third Ukrainian security service far-reaching assault in Bashkortostan in the recent weeks. These attacks show that there are no protected areas in the deep rear of the Russia.

Ukrainian President Urges US President to Mediate Peace in Ukraine

The Ukrainian leader appealed to the US President to mediate a ceasefire in the Ukrainian conflict during a telephone conversation on the weekend.

"Provided that a conflict can be halted in one region, then surely other wars can be stopped as well, including the Russian war," he said, commending the US President's "outstanding" Gaza ceasefire plan and calling for the President to pressure the Russian government into negotiations.

Moscow's Attacks Claim Casualties in Ukraine

Moscow's assaults on Ukrainian territory killed at least several civilians on Saturday and disrupted electricity to parts of Ukraine's southern Odesa oblast, according to local sources.

Two people died in a church in Kostyantynivka when it was targeted, according to municipal sources.

In the Russian border region of Belgorod, a truck driver was lost his life by a Ukrainian strike, per local officials.

Electricity Restoration Efforts in the Capital

Work carried on on Saturday to repair energy infrastructure in the Ukrainian capital, after assaults.

Energy had been returned to in excess of 800,000 residents by the weekend and the major utility provider said the main work to restore power was finished though some outages continued.

Anti-Aircraft Efforts and UAV Downings

Ukraine's defense forces downed or disrupted 54 out of seventy-eight Russian drones sent targeting Ukraine in the dark hours, the air force reported on Saturday.

The Russian military authorities said it shot down 42 UAVs from Ukraine over the country's airspace.

Cuban Government Denies Accusations of Sending Soldiers to the War

Havana on Saturday refuted US claims it has sent military personnel to fight in the conflict in Ukraine, while stating the government "are without exact details about Cuban nationals" engaged "independently" or "in the military forces of both sides".

The government department in the capital announced 26 Cubans had been sentenced to jail sentences ranging from five to 14 years for mercenary involvement since September 2023 when reports emerged of Cubans being sent to the front in the conflict.

Surrender Initiative Project Reports Details on Cuban National Involvement

The program, a Ukrainian government project that promotes enemy combatants to surrender, reported in May: "We have confirmed the names and personal details of one thousand and twenty-eight Cubans who enlisted with the Russian armed forces in the past two years."

The government in Havana stated of those who might be participating: "Undeniably that not a single one has the backing, dedication, or authorization of the Cuban authorities for their activities."

Kin of Cubans who left for Russia in 2023 told international media at the time that their family members had been misled into enlisting through promotions on social media.