Russian drones hit Kyiv petrol stations again as Ukraine widens oil strikes in Russia
Russian drones hit roadside petrol stations in Kyiv for a second straight day on Friday, as Moscow widened its air campaign in what Ukrainian officials say is an effort to unsettle civilians. The attacks came as Ukraine pushed to strengthen its air defences in the fifth year of Russia's invasion and, a day earlier, secured fresh support pledges from Canada.
At the same time, Ukraine has expanded its own long-range drone strikes deep inside Russia, putting pressure on air defences there and targeting the country's oil sector. Ukrainian officials say Russia has stepped up strikes on urban petrol stations, food distribution hubs and other civilian infrastructure to disrupt daily life and weaken morale.
Russian strikes on urban petrol stations have intensified in recent months, mainly in regions near the front line in eastern and southern Ukraine. Ukrainian officials say the campaign has also included attacks on food distribution hubs, leaving some supermarket shelves bare in the capital.
Ukraine said on Thursday that its military had hit a refinery more than 3,000 kilometres away in Siberia, as Kyiv tries to damage Russia's vital oil sector. Ukrainian strikes have caused fuel shortages in Russia, one of the world's biggest energy producers.
Russia's oil product exports fell to record lows in August, and Moscow is importing fuel from South Korea and India, according to a report by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air. "Ukrainian strikes on Russia's refining capacity have turned tables on the world's once largest oil product exporter to see them start importing fuels, with imports surging to a record 172,000 metric tons (189,600 tons) in August -- more than seven times the previous monthly high," the Finland-registered nonprofit said on Thursday.
In Kyiv on Friday, drones hit two petrol stations within 10 minutes in the city's Dniprovskyi and Obolonskyi districts, the State Emergency Service said. Five people, including a rescuer, were wounded. Ukrainian officials and analysts have warned for months that Russia would extend such strikes to the capital as part of its campaign to intimidate civilians. Authorities have urged residents not to remain near petrol stations and other exposed infrastructure during air raid alerts.
In Pavlohrad, a city in central Ukraine, Friday was observed as an official day of mourning for five residents killed near shopping malls in broad daylight in Russian drone strikes a day earlier. Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on X that 67 people were wounded in the attack.
In the southern city of Zaporizhzhia, a 32-year-old woman and her 10-year-old son were wounded in an overnight Russian drone attack, the State Emergency Service said. The drones struck a nine-storey apartment block and a shopping mall. It added that efforts to put out the fires were slowed by the constant risk of repeat strikes, forcing firefighters to stop work and take shelter.
Russia, meanwhile, said it had repelled a major Ukrainian drone barrage overnight from Thursday to Friday. The Russian Defence Ministry said air defences intercepted 777 Ukrainian drones over 16 Russian regions, as well as occupied Crimea and the waters of the Azov and Caspian seas. Local officials said two people were killed and three others were wounded in a Ukrainian drone attack on the Tula region, south of Moscow.
Russian independent online outlet Astra reported on Friday that a Ukrainian drone strike overnight started a fire at the Saratov oil refinery in south-western Russia. Kyiv has repeatedly targeted the refinery, which was last hit in early August. The latest attacks underlined the widening drone war, with Russia striking civilian infrastructure in Ukraine and Kyiv continuing its long-range campaign against Russian energy sites.
