Ukraine Drone Strikes Set Russian Oil Refinery Ablaze.

Debris from downed Ukrainian drones sparked a blaze at the refinery in Slavyansk-na-Kubani, a town in Russia’s Krasnodar region, east of occupied Crimea, according to the governor. The falling debris killed one person in Slavyansk and injured another in a nearby village, regional authorities said.

Debris from downed Ukrainian drones sparked a blaze at a major oil refinery in Russia on Sunday, according to local authorities. Photos and videos circulating on Russian social media showed a thick cloud of smoke over what users said was the Slavyansk refinery. The Associated Press was not immediately able to verify the images. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine was behind the strike on Slavyansk.

Kyiv’s campaign of massive long-range strikes has choked Russian fuel supplies and military deliveries, in what authorities call an attempt to bring the Kremlin to the negotiating table. In recent months, Ukraine has stepped up its long-range attacks on Russian military facilities, choking Moscow’s fuel supplies and military deliveries. The campaign has helped stall Moscow’s efforts on the battlefield and increase pressure on the Kremlin, according to Western officials.

The Slavyansk site is one of southern Russia’s major refineries, processing close to 4 million tons of crude per year, according to its operator’s website. Zelenskyy also claimed that a second Russian refinery, in the Yaroslavl region around 700 kilometers (435 miles) from the Ukrainian border, was hit during the nighttime strikes.