Latest Refinery Attack Demonstrates 'No Secure Places in the Russian Far Hinterland'

Ukrainian drones have targeted Russia's oil refinery in Ufa, positioned around 1,400 kilometers from Ukraine, causing explosions and a inferno, according to a insider in the Ukrainian intelligence agency.

This marks the third intelligence far-reaching assault in Bashkortostan in the last month. Such operations demonstrate that there are no safe places in the far hinterland of the Russian state.

Zelenskyy Appeals to US President to Broker Ceasefire in Ukraine

The Ukrainian leader called on the US President to facilitate a truce in the Ukrainian conflict in a phone call on the weekend.

"When a conflict can be ended in a single area, then undoubtedly further hostilities can be halted as well, covering the Russian war," Zelenskyy remarked, commending Trump's "outstanding" Middle East truce proposal and requesting the American leader to pressure the Russian government into discussions.

Russian Attacks Kill Lives in Ukraine

Moscow's assaults on Ukraine resulted in the deaths of several civilians on the weekend and cut power to sections of Ukraine's south Odesa region, according to local sources.

Two civilians were killed inside a place of worship in the town when it was struck, as reported by municipal sources.

In the Russian adjacent territory of Belgorod, a truck driver was fatally wounded by a Ukrainian strike, as stated by municipal sources.

Electricity Recovery Work in the Capital

Efforts continued on Saturday to recover electricity in Kyiv, after Russian attacks.

Power had been restored to more than 800,000 inhabitants by the weekend and the major utility provider stated the key work to recover electricity was concluded though partial blackouts remained.

Anti-Aircraft Actions and Drone Interceptions

The Ukrainian defense forces neutralized 54 of 78 enemy drones sent targeting the country overnight, the air force announced on the weekend.

Russia's defense officials claimed it shot down 42 enemy Ukrainian drones over its own soil.

Cuban Government Denies Accusations of Sending Forces to the War

Cuba on the weekend refuted American assertions it has sent military personnel to participate in the hostilities, while stating the government "lack accurate data about individuals" engaged "voluntarily" or "within the troops of the conflicting parties".

The government department in Havana said 26 Cuban citizens had been given prison terms to jail sentences from five up to fourteen years for participating as mercenaries since September 2023 when news circulated of individuals being dispatched to the frontlines in the conflict.

Surrender Initiative Initiative Discloses Data on Cuban National Involvement

I Want to Live, a state project that encourages enemy combatants to give up, stated in May: "We reliably know the identities and information of over a thousand individuals who signed contracts with the Moscow's troops in 2023-2024."

The Cuban foreign ministry said of Cubans who might be participating: "There is no doubt that not a single one have the encouragement, dedication, or consent of the Cuban authorities for their involvement."

Family members of individuals who traveled to the Russian Federation in the year reported to Agence France-Presse at the time that their family members had been deceptively recruited through promotions on online platforms.