Zelenskyy Says Ukraine Struck Russian Refinery, Samara Logistics Hub

Ukrainian forces struck the Novokuybyshevsk refinery, a logistics hub in the Samara region and targets in the Black Sea over the past 24 hours, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday.

Zelenskyy placed the refinery 1,000 kilometers from the front line. He said the strike deprived Russia of millions of dollars in export revenue.

He described the operations as part of Ukraine’s “long-range sanctions,” which he said were limiting Russia’s military and economic potential.

At Saky airfield, a Su-24M aircraft and four pieces of airfield equipment were destroyed in earlier strikes, according to Zelenskyy.

He also said Ukrainian forces destroyed drone-control relay stations in the Bryansk region. Russian forces used the stations to guide attack drones toward Ukrainian cities and villages, Zelenskyy said.

The strike, damage and revenue claims could not be independently verified.

Earlier Ukrainian strike claims

In an earlier post, Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces hit an oil refinery in Perm, more than 1,600 kilometers from the border, and the Marinovka military air base in the Volgograd region.

He also reported unspecified results in the Black Sea, damage to a Russian Su-34 at Akhtubinsk air base and a strike on a drone facility in Primorsko-Akhtarsk.

Those earlier operational claims were not independently verified.

Kryvyi Rih attack

In a separate Friday post, Zelenskyy reported that Russian drones struck a Kryvyi Rih shopping center in two waves, leaving five people reported dead and at least 52 injured, including six children.

He said the second strike came about 30 minutes after the first hit and fire and targeted emergency responders.

The casualty count and alleged targeting of emergency responders could not be independently verified.

Russian ministry’s weekly claims

Russian state news agency TASS reported that Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its forces took 11 communities across the Kharkov and Zaporozhye regions and the area it calls the Donetsk People’s Republic from Aug. 15-21.

The ministry also reported extensive Ukrainian personnel and equipment losses. It claimed Russian air defenses intercepted 8,477 fixed-wing drones, 26 Flamingo cruise missiles, 70 guided bombs and 17 rockets during the week.

None of the Russian territorial, personnel, equipment or interception claims could be independently verified.

Call with the U.N. chief

In another post, Zelenskyy said he briefed United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Russian strikes and civilian casualties.

According to Zelenskyy, Guterres condemned Russian attacks on Kyiv and other cities and communities.

The two discussed attacks on port infrastructure, threats to food security and efforts to end the war. Zelenskyy said they agreed to continue seeking a path forward, with the United Nations contributing.