Ukraine announced its second raid on Russian oil refineries this week

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said today that the oil refinery in Ufa, located more than 1,300 km from the front line, is one of Russia’s largest lubricant oil production facilities. According to him, this is the second time in a week that Ukraine has attacked this facility, within the framework of a long-range attack campaign targeting Russia.

“Every day, our long-range sanctions plan against Russia is implemented. This is a completely legitimate response to everything Russia has done to us,” he said.

Mr. Zelensky also said that Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) attacked the Research Institute of Physical Measurements (NIIFI), a Russian defense industrial enterprise in the Penza region.

The Ukrainian General Staff later confirmed that the target of the attack was NIIFI, part of Russian Space Systems, a subsidiary of state corporation Roscosmos. This is said to be where sensors for Iskander, Kalibr and Kh-101 missiles are produced, parts for Su-34, Su-35 and Tu-95MS aircraft, as well as equipment for Russian military satellites.

They said smoke appeared at the facility, but the extent of the damage was being assessed. Penza is located about 550 km northeast of Ukraine’s border with Russia.

Oleg Melnichenko, governor of the Penza region, confirmed that Ukrainian UAVs hit two industrial plants in the city of the same name, injuring two people. Mr. Melnichenko did not name the factory attacked or describe the damage.

The Ukrainian General Staff also said that its forces attacked a road bridge over the Malyi Kalchyk River in Donetsk province, a railway bridge over the Tepla River near Nyzhnioteple in Lugansk province, and a military logistics gathering point near Novoocheretuvate in Donetsk province.

According to the Ukrainian army, Russian forces use these routes to transport soldiers, weapons, ammunition and military supplies.

Ukraine has recently regularly attacked military and energy infrastructure deep within Russia and territories controlled by Moscow to weaken the enemy’s ability to continue waging war. President Zelensky on June 25 announced a 40-day “long-range sanctions” raid campaign to pressure Russia to end the fighting.

President Vladimir Putin on June 28 admitted that Ukraine’s recent raid campaign has caused a “certain fuel shortage” in the short term in many regions of Russia, adding that the government is looking for ways to solve this problem.

Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said today that Russia’s domestic fuel market is fully supplied with gasoline and diesel, emphasizing that the problems are being resolved quickly.