Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, stated that Ukraine's airstrikes on the Novokuybyshevsk oil refinery in Samara will not affect the trilateral peace negotiations. These attacks occurred early Friday, and published images show a fire at the refinery.
Details of the Attacks on the Refinery and Oil Facilities
In total, three oil refineries and one gas production plant have been targeted in these attacks. However, the damage inflicted on one of these facilities has been minimal. The Novokuybyshevsk refinery, owned by Rosneft, produces aviation fuel and diesel alongside other petroleum products. This is the first attack on a Russian oil refinery since mid-October.
Ceasefire and Halt of Attacks in Ukraine
Under pressure from the United States, Ukraine had previously halted attacks on Russian oil facilities, although Kyiv has never officially announced such a halt. The Kremlin has also responded negatively to a request from Donald Trump, the President of the United States, to refrain from attacks on Russian oil facilities. Meanwhile, the evacuation of civilians from the Ukrainian city of Oleshky, which is under Russian occupation, has begun, and a humanitarian aid convoy has also entered the region.
Yana Lantratova, the Russian Human Rights Commissioner, announced that this operation includes 25 buses and a team of 50 health workers carrying food, fuel, and medicine. Additionally, Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian human rights inspector, reported a ceasefire on such a large scale at the front line and emphasized that this situation has no relation to peace negotiations.
In other events, the death toll from Russian drone attacks on the main railway station in the city of Dnipro rose to 15 on Thursday, and in the city of Shostka, a 43-year-old woman lost her life due to these attacks.
The Russian Ministry of Defense also announced that it shot down 1,043 Ukrainian drones last night. Meanwhile, Zelensky, the President of Ukraine, has referred to new Russian attacks and called for more tools and resources to counter these threats.
