Overview
- Ukraine’s long‑range drones hit Russia’s Baltic export hubs and key refining assets, with Reuters-based estimates showing about 40% of crude export capacity offline after Wednesday’s port shutdowns at Ust-Luga and Primorsk and Thursday’s processing halt at the Kirishi refinery.
- Primorsk resumed partial loadings Thursday after fire damage, while Kirishi—one of Russia’s largest refineries—stopped processing following repeated strikes that industry sources said ignited primary and secondary units.
- President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine is using deep strikes to keep pressure on Moscow after Washington issued a 30‑day waiver to clear stranded Russian oil, a policy shift meant to steady markets roiled by the Iran war.
- Kyiv signed an air‑defense cooperation pact with Saudi Arabia during Zelenskyy’s visit, and has deployed more than 200 specialists to Gulf states to share tactics and low‑cost interceptor drones designed to counter Shahed‑type attacks.
- Ukraine reported shooting down 93 of 102 Russian drones overnight, with regional authorities citing injuries in Kharkiv and other areas, while the Kremlin denied reports it is sending attack drones to Iran even as Ukrainian and Western sources allege Russian targeting support for Tehran.