Ukrainian military units struck an oil refinery in Russia's Samara region
Ukraine struck the Novokuibyshevsk oil refinery in Russia’s Samara region early Friday, ending a two-week pause in refinery attacks, The Wall Street Journal reported. The strike came amid pressure from Donald Trump’s administration to halt such operations. The Kyiv Independent said it could not independently verify footage or establish the extent of damage.
More context
Early Friday, a Ukrainian strike hit the Novokuibyshevsk refinery in Russia’s Samara region, bringing an unofficial pause of about two weeks in attacks on Russian refineries to an end. The Wall Street Journal reported the strike amid pressure from the Trump administration to halt such operations. Social-media photos and videos showed columns of smoke over the site. The Kyiv Independent said it could not independently verify the footage or establish the extent of the damage; it said monitoring channels described the attack as a “resumption of strikes.”
The pause began in mid-October. On Oct. 29, the Journal reported, citing officials familiar with the operations, that Ukrainian military units conducting long-range strikes had informally suspended refinery attacks following pressure from Donald Trump’s administration. The report said the halt was expected to last until after the U.S. midterm elections.
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Reporting
- The Wall Street Journal — Ukraine Hits Russian Oil Refinery, Ending Pause and Defying Trump - WSJ
- The Kyiv Independent — Russian oil refinery reportedly attacked amid renewed Ukrainian strikes on energy infrastructure
Verifier’s note
The Wall Street Journal reports that Ukraine struck the Novokuibyshevsk refinery after a two-week pause, and the Kyiv Independent separately reports a refinery attack as the first strike after an unofficial pause. Kyiv Post reports on the earlier pause, not this strike.