Ukrainian Drones Strike Deep into Russia: Refinery Attack Kills at Least 13, Injures 48

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the operation was intended to force Putin to negotiate an end to the full-scale invasion that has lasted over four years. He stated, "This war will increasingly be felt in their own homeland—in Russia." According to a statement released by local news agencies on Monday (August 10), Ukraine launched drone attacks on the city of Nizhnekamsk in the Tatarstan region of central Russia, killing at least 13 people and injuring 48.

Located over 1,000 kilometers from the Ukraine-Russia border, the region hosts several major oil refineries and has become one of Kyiv’s recent strategic targets. Both sides are intensifying long-range attacks on critical infrastructure. The United Nations reports that such strikes have significantly increased civilian casualties in both Ukraine and Russia.

Nizhnekamsk Mayor Radmir Belyayev stated on Telegram that the Monday attack hit both industrial and civilian targets, though he did not specify which ones. Ukrainian military sources confirmed nighttime strikes on the Taneco refinery, with fires reported at the site. Ukraine’s sustained attacks on refineries have caused fuel shortages in parts of Russia and reduced the country’s refining capacity.

According to UN statistics, Russia has frequently launched missiles, glide bombs, and drones into Ukrainian civilian areas, resulting in thousands of civilian casualties.

Kyiv: Aerial Campaign Aims to Force Putin Back to Negotiating Table

President Zelenskyy emphasized that the drone operations are designed to compel Putin to return to negotiations. In a late-night social media post on Sunday, he wrote, "Our response is fully justified. Every Russian strike will be met with retaliation. This war will increasingly be felt in their own homeland—in Russia."

The Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces launched 126 drones during nighttime attacks. In response, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed to have shot down 456 Ukrainian drones but did not disclose how many drones or missiles reached their targets or how many were intercepted over the Tatarstan region.

Near the front lines in Ukraine, Russian artillery strikes killed five people in a village in Kharkiv Oblast in the northeast. The regional prosecutor’s office stated on Telegram that on August 10, Russian forces conducted a large-scale artillery barrage on the residential area of Bugaivka village in the Chuhuiv district, destroying multiple homes and killing five civilians.

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