Another Russian oil facility burns as Zelenskyy touts Ukraine’s drone
reach
[April 30, 2026]
Another oil facility deep inside Russia was reportedly on fire Wednesday
after what Ukraine’s president claimed was his country’s latest
long-range drone attack.
Ukraine’s Security Service, known as the SBU, said it struck an oil
pumping station near the city of Perm as part of efforts to target
Russia’s energy infrastructure. The area is more than 1,500 kilometers
(900 miles) from Ukraine.
Russian media reported the attack, though Perm Gov. Dmitry Makhonin said
only that a drone hit an unspecified industrial facility, sparking a
fire.
Russian officials have not been forthcoming about Ukrainian claims that
Kyiv is carrying out more long-range attacks and that its domestically
developed drones are increasingly accurate.
Speaking about Ukraine during a call with U.S. President Donald Trump,
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Kyiv was inciting other European
leaders and “prolonging the conflict,” presidential aide Yuri Ushakov
said.
Advanced drone technology has become a defining feature of the war as
Russia’s bigger army presses its more than four-year invasion of its
neighbor.
Ukraine claims it hit a key Russian oil hub
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy posted a video on Telegram
showing a large plume of black smoke rising in countryside near a
built-up area. Without specifying it was the Perm attack or what was
hit, Zelenskyy said Ukraine was expanding the range of its long-distance
strikes.
He called them a new phase in efforts to limit Russia’s ability to wage
war by denying it crucial oil revenue.
It was not possible to independently verify the video.
The SBU claimed that most oil storage tanks were ablaze at the facility,
which it said is owned by Russia’s pipeline operator Transneft and a key
hub in the oil transportation system. The claims could not be
independently verified.
The attack came a day after Ukraine struck the Tuapse oil refinery and
terminal on the Black Sea for the third time in less than two weeks,
prompting what Putin said could be “serious environmental consequences.”
Local authorities said the fire had been “contained” by Wednesday.
Ukrainian drones exploit Russian vulnerabilities
Ukraine has escalated its long-distance strikes against Russian oil
facilities in an effort to stop Moscow from gaining a financial windfall
from a U.S. waiver on sanctions amid global supply restrictions caused
by the Iran war, according to the Institute for the Study of War.
Kyiv is exploiting the vulnerabilities of Russia’s large land mass, the
Washington-based think tank said.
[to top of second column]
|
In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Services on
Wednesday, April 29, 2026, residential buildings burn following a
Russian drone strike on Odesa region, Ukraine. (Ukrainian Emergency
Service via AP)
“Ukrainian forces will likely continue to exploit the large attack
surface of Russia’s deep rear and overstretched Russian air defenses
to launch more frequent and larger strikes against Russian oil
infrastructure and military assets, supported by increased Ukrainian
domestic drone production,” the institute said late Tuesday.
The Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday its air defenses
overnight intercepted 98 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions and
Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.
Ukraine's weapon surplus could go to partner countries
After years of relying heavily on foreign military support, Ukraine
is poised to export its sought-after drone know-how. Zelenskyy said
Ukraine is producing a surplus of up to 50% in some types of
weapons.
Military cooperation “is already underway” with countries in the
Middle East, the Gulf, Europe and the Caucasus, he said on Telegram
late Tuesday.
The deals involve the production and supply of drones and missiles
as well as software and technology, according to Zelenskyy.
Kyiv has also handed a proposal to the United States for cooperation
on drones, defense systems and other types of weapons for use in the
air, on land and at sea, he said.
Russian nighttime attacks wound civilians
Russia hasn’t eased up on its own long-range attacks on Ukraine's
civilian areas, damaging homes and infrastructure, regional
authorities said.
Eight people were injured in an overnight attack on the northeastern
Kharkiv region, the regional prosecutor’s office said.
In the northeastern Sumy region, officials said a 60-year-old woman
died of carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of an attack.
In the southern Odesa region, Russian forces struck Izmail, damaging
infrastructure facilities, according to the local administration. A
district hospital building was damaged.
Ukraine’s air force said it shot down 154 of the 171 drones launched
by Russia overnight.
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved |
