🔗 Share this article

Ukrainian drones have hit the Russian Bashneft refinery in the city of Ufa, located some 1,400 km from Ukraine, triggering explosions and a blaze, per a source in Ukraine's intelligence agency.

This represents the latest intelligence far-reaching assault in the region in the last month. These strikes show that there are no safe places in the distant backlines of the Russian state.

Zelenskyy Appeals to US President to Broker Peace in the Conflict

President Zelenskyy appealed to the US President to broker peace in Ukraine in a call on the weekend.

"When a hostilities can be halted in a particular zone, then undoubtedly further hostilities can be halted as well, including the Russian war," the President remarked, praising the US President's "outstanding" Gaza truce proposal and requesting the American leader to pressure the Kremlin into talks.

Moscow's Attacks Kill Casualties in Ukraine

Russian attacks on Ukraine killed at least five people on Saturday and cut power to areas of the southern Odesa area, as stated by authorities in Ukraine.

A pair of individuals were killed inside a place of worship in Kostyantynivka when it was struck, according to regional officials.

In Russia's frontier area of the Belgorod region, a truck driver was lost his life by a attack from Ukraine, according to municipal sources.

Electricity Repair Efforts in Kyiv

Efforts proceeded on the weekend to recover electricity in Kyiv, after strikes by Moscow.

Power had been recovered to in excess of 800,000 citizens by the weekend and the major power firm stated the main work to recover electricity was finished though some outages continued.

Air Defence Actions and Drone Downings

Ukraine's anti-aircraft systems intercepted or jammed fifty-four of 78 Russian drones sent targeting the country during the night, the aerial defense command said on the weekend.

Russia's military authorities said it shot down 42 UAVs from Ukraine over the country's airspace.

Cuban Government Refutes Accusations of Deploying Soldiers to Ukraine

Cuba on the weekend rejected US claims it has sent troops to fight in the hostilities, while affirming officials in Havana "do not have exact data about individuals" engaged "on their own" or "in the military forces of both sides".

The foreign ministry in the capital stated 26 nationals had been convicted to jail sentences varying between five to 14 years for mercenary activity since the autumn of 2023 when reports emerged of Cubans being deployed to the front in Ukraine.

Surrender Initiative Program Reports Information on Cuban Recruitment

I Want to Live, a official Kyiv initiative that promotes opposing fighters to lay down arms, stated in May: "We reliably know the names and personal details of one thousand and twenty-eight individuals who enlisted with the Russian military in recently."

The government in Havana commented of Cubans who might be involved: "There is no doubt that not a single one have the backing, commitment, or authorization of the Cuban state for their actions."

Family members of individuals who departed to the Russian Federation in 2023 told Agence France-Presse at the time that their family members had been misled into enlisting through advertisements on online platforms.