🔗 Share this article

Ukrainian drones have targeted the Russian oil refinery in the city of Ufa, located some 1,400 km from Ukraine, causing explosions and a fire, according to a source in Ukraine's SBU.

This represents the third SBU long-range attack in the region in the recent weeks. Such operations illustrate that there are no protected areas in the far hinterland of the Russia.

Ukrainian President Urges US President to Mediate Peace in the Conflict

President Zelenskyy appealed to Donald Trump to facilitate a truce in the Ukrainian conflict over a call on Saturday.

"When a hostilities can be halted in a single area, then certainly other wars can be halted as well, covering the conflict with Russia," he said, praising Trump's "exceptional" Gaza truce proposal and calling for the President to influence the Kremlin into negotiations.

Russian Strikes Claim Lives in Ukraine

Strikes by Russia on Ukraine killed at least 5 individuals on the weekend and disrupted electricity to sections of Ukraine's south Odesa area, as stated by Ukrainian officials.

Two people lost their lives in a church in Kostyantynivka when it was hit, according to local authorities.

In Russia's adjacent territory of Belgorod, a lorry operator was killed by a Ukrainian strike, per regional authorities.

Energy Repair Work in Kyiv

Operations proceeded on the weekend to restore power in the Ukrainian capital, after Russian attacks.

Power had been restored to over 800,000 residents by Saturday and the major power firm stated the primary efforts to recover electricity was finished though certain disruptions remained.

Anti-Aircraft Operations and Drone Downings

The Ukrainian anti-aircraft systems intercepted or jammed 54 of seventy-eight Russian drones sent targeting the country overnight, the aerial defense command reported on the weekend.

The Russian military authorities claimed it eliminated 42 drones over the country's airspace.

Cuban Government Refutes Claims of Providing Forces to the War

Havana on the weekend rejected US allegations it has provided military personnel to fight in the hostilities, while affirming Cuban authorities "do not have accurate data about citizens of Cuba" engaged "voluntarily" or "as part of the armed units of either party".

The ministry in the capital stated twenty-six nationals had been convicted to incarceration varying between five to 14 years for mercenary involvement since the autumn of 2023 when news spread of Cubans being dispatched to the frontlines in the conflict.

Surrender Initiative Program Reveals Information on Cuban National Involvement

The program, a state program that promotes adversaries to surrender, stated in May: "We have confirmed the names and personal details of over a thousand Cuban nationals who signed contracts with the Moscow's troops in 2023-2024."

The Cuban authorities stated of Cubans who might be engaged: "There is no doubt that none of them have the backing, allegiance, or authorization of the government in Havana for their actions."

Relatives of Cuban nationals who departed to Russia in 2023 informed international media at the time that their family members had been tricked into joining through promotions on online platforms.