Ukraine announced Sunday that it had conducted overnight strikes targeting a major oil refinery and an airfield deep within Russian territory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the Engels airfield and a refinery, both located in the Saratov region approximately 373 miles (600 kilometers) from Ukraine's border, were hit.
Reports also indicate that an oil depot in the Kaluga region and a drone launch site in Bryansk were struck. Russia's Ministry of Defense reported that eight people were killed in the Ukrainian strikes, and that 635 drones were shot down or intercepted. The ministry also noted a separate strike on a warehouse belonging to Russia's largest online retailer, Wildberries.
In response, Moscow stated that its forces attacked two Ukrainian ports and two vessels in the Black Sea during the same night. Later on Sunday, Ukrainian officials reported that one person died in a Russian strike on a postal terminal near the northeastern city of Kharkiv.
Both Russia and Ukraine have recently escalated attacks, frequently targeting major cities, energy infrastructure, and warehouses. These intensified strikes occur as the front lines remain largely static and diplomatic efforts led by the United States to end the conflict have not yielded breakthroughs. Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.