Ukrainian drones strike Russian oil refinery and Samara pipeline hub

Ukraine launched overnight drone strikes on a major Russian oil refinery and a key crude-pipeline pumping hub, intensifying its campaign to degrade Moscow's war-financing infrastructure, according to Ukraine's General Staff. The attacks hit Lukoil's Volgograd refinery, capable of processing about 300,000 barrels daily, and a large oil-pumping complex in the Samara region, with fires reported at both sites. Kyiv frames the strikes as a response to Russia's near-daily attacks on Ukrainian critical infrastructure and civilian targets. The Samara station is Europe's largest tank farm, feeding domestic refineries and export routes to the Black and Baltic seas. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the strikes "long-range sanctions," while Russia's Deputy Prime Minister said four refineries were attacked and protection measures have reduced damage.