WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine mounts big drone attack, says it hit Russian refinery

Ukraine said on Wednesday it had struck a big Russian oil refinery in an overnight drone attack, and a Russian official said an attempted Ukrainian drone strike on a nuclear power plant had been thwarted.

The Ukrainian military said the strike on the refinery in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod region had caused a large fire. Reuters was able to verify a video posted on social media that showed orange flames lighting up the night sky in the city of Kstovo, but could not confirm it was the refinery that was burning.

Lukoil's NORSI refinery, Russia's fourth largest, is based in Kstovo, which lies east of Moscow and about 800 km (500 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

Russian petrochemicals giant Sibur said it had temporarily suspended operations at its plant, also in Kstovo, on Wednesday morning after debris from a Ukrainian drone sparked a fire. It said the blaze was later contained, and there were no casualties.

Ukraine has carried out frequent air attacks on Russian refineries, oil depots and industrial sites in an attempt to cripple key infrastructure underpinning Russia's war effort.

Russia is currently feeding more crude oil through its refineries in the hope of boosting fuel exports after new U.S. sanctions on Russian tankers and traders made exports of unprocessed crude more difficult, sources told Reuters this week. A Ukrainian drone attack last week forced a refinery in Ryazan, southeast of Moscow, to suspend operations.

NUCLEAR PLANT

The governor of Russia's western Smolensk region said on Wednesday that air defence systems had destroyed a drone attempting to strike a nuclear power plant there. The plant was working normally, the RIA state news agency reported, citing its press service.

Reuters could not independently verify the report.

The governor of Belgorod, another western region, said a mother and her two-year-old child had been killed when a drone struck a family home there. He said the child's father and another child had been wounded and taken to hospital.

Both sides deny targeting civilians in their attacks in the war that Russia launched in February 2022. But thousands of civilians, mostly Ukrainians, have been killed.

Russia's Defence Ministry said on Telegram that 104 Ukrainian drones had been involved in raids across western Russia, 11 of which were destroyed over the Smolensk region.

In total, Russian air defences destroyed drones over nine regions, nearly half of them over Kursk, where Russian forces are fighting to drive out Ukrainian troops who fought their way across the border last August.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russian troops liberate Novoyelizavetovka community in Donbass region over past day

Russian troops liberated the community of Novoyelizavetovka in the Donbass region over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Wednesday.

"Battlegroup Center liberated the settlement of Novoyelizavetovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic through active operations," the ministry said in a statement.

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicts 30 casualties on Ukrainian army in Kharkov area

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicted roughly 30 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed two enemy artillery guns in its area of responsibility in the Kharkov Region over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup North units operating in the Kharkov direction inflicted casualties on formations of a motorized infantry and an assault brigade of the Ukrainian army in areas near the settlements of Liptsy and Volchansk in the Kharkov Region," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost an estimated 30 personnel, an armored combat vehicle, a motor vehicle and two field artillery guns in that frontline area over the past 24 hours, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicts 320 casualties on Ukrainian army over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicted roughly 320 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed three enemy ammunition depots in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup West units improved their tactical position and inflicted damage on manpower and equipment of a tank brigade, a mechanized brigade and an assault brigade of the Ukrainian army and a National Guard brigade near the settlements of Topoli, Lozovaya and Zelyony Gai in the Kharkov Region and Grigorovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 320 personnel, a tank, three armored combat vehicles, including two US-made M113 armored personnel carriers, eight motor vehicles and six field artillery guns, among them two Western-made weapons, it specified.

In addition, Russian forces destroyed two Nota electronic warfare stations and three ammunition depots of the Ukrainian army over the past 24 hours, it said.

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicts 220 casualties on Ukrainian army over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicted roughly 220 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed three enemy armored vehicles in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup South units took better lines and positions and inflicted losses on formations of two mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian army and two territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Verkhnekamenskoye, Yantarnoye, Orekhovo-Vasilevka and Chasov Yar in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost an estimated 220 personnel, three armored combat vehicles, five motor vehicles and two field artillery guns in that frontline area over the past 24 hours, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicts 520 casualties on Ukrainian army over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicted roughly 520 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed a US-made jamming station in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

During the last 24-hour period, Battlegroup Center units "inflicted damage on manpower and equipment of three mechanized and a jaeger brigade of the Ukrainian army and a National Guard brigade in areas near the settlements of Andreyevka, Novopavlovka, Udachnoye, Shcherbinovka and Tarasovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 520 personnel, a tank, seven armored combat vehicles, including two US-made M113 armored personnel carriers, seven motor vehicles, five field artillery guns and a US-manufactured AN/TPQ-37 counterbattery radar station, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicts over 135 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicted more than 135 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed four enemy artillery guns in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup East units kept advancing deep into the enemy’s defenses and inflicted casualties on formations of a mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian army, a marine infantry brigade and a territorial defense brigade in areas near the settlements of Razliv and Konstantinopol in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to more than 135 personnel, a tank and four field artillery guns, including a Western-made weapon, it specified.

Reuters/Tass