🔗 Share this article

Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles have struck the Russian Bashneft refinery in Ufa, positioned around 1,400 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, causing explosions and a blaze, according to a insider in Ukraine's SBU.

This constitutes the third Ukrainian security service long-range attack in the region in the recent weeks. Those attacks illustrate that there are no secure zones in the far hinterland of the Russian state.

Zelenskyy Calls On Trump to Facilitate Truce in the Conflict

Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the US President to mediate a ceasefire in the Ukrainian conflict over a phone call on Saturday.

"Provided that a war can be stopped in one region, then undoubtedly further hostilities can be stopped as well, covering the Russian war," he remarked, praising Trump's "remarkable" Middle East truce proposal and requesting the US president to pressure the Moscow into talks.

Moscow's Attacks Take Casualties in the Country

Russian attacks on Ukrainian territory killed at least several civilians on the weekend and caused blackouts to sections of the southern Odesa region, as stated by Ukrainian officials.

Two people lost their lives inside a religious building in the town when it was targeted, as reported by regional officials.

In Russia's border region of Belgorod, a truck driver was killed by a Ukrainian strike, according to municipal sources.

Electricity Repair Efforts in the Capital

Efforts continued on the weekend to repair energy infrastructure in the Ukrainian capital, after Russian attacks.

Electricity had been returned to more than 800,000 residents by the weekend and the major power firm announced the key work to repair the grid was finished though some outages remained.

Air Defence Efforts and Drone Downings

The Ukrainian air defences intercepted or jammed 54 out of 78 total UAVs from Russia sent against Ukraine in the dark hours, the air force said on Saturday.

Russia's military authorities stated it shot down 42 enemy Ukrainian drones over its own soil.

Cuba Rejects Accusations of Sending Troops to Ukraine

Havana on the weekend denied American claims it has provided military personnel to engage in the hostilities, while stating the government "are without accurate information about citizens of Cuba" engaged "voluntarily" or "within the troops of both sides".

The ministry in the capital announced twenty-six Cuban citizens had been given prison terms to jail sentences varying between five up to fourteen years for mercenary activity since the autumn of 2023 when reports circulated of Cuban nationals being sent to the front in Ukraine.

I Want to Live Initiative Reports Information on Cuban National Enlistment

The program, a Ukrainian government initiative that encourages opposing fighters to surrender, reported in May: "We reliably know the personal data of one thousand and twenty-eight individuals who enlisted with the Russian military in the past two years."

The Cuban authorities stated of Cubans who might be involved: "It is irrefutable that not a single one has the backing, allegiance, or consent of the Cuban authorities for their activities."

Kin of Cuban nationals who departed to Russia in the year told international media at the time that their relatives had been deceptively recruited through ads on online platforms.