Ukraine strikes Russia\u2019s oil refinery in Kstovo, oil pumping station in the Yaroslavl region. Russia holds massive drills of its nuclear forces. A Russian missile strike on Pryluky in Chernihiv region kills three, injures 29 others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ukraine\u2019s defense forces struck the Lukoil refinery in the city of Kstovo in Russia\u2019s Nizhny Novgorod region on Monday, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in a post to social media Tuesday. The strike caused a fire at the facility. The extent of the damage is being determined, the General Staff said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The plant is one of Russia\u2019s biggest oil refineries with a processing capacity of around 17 million tons per year. It produces gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, and supplies the Russian army.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Tuesday, the Ukrainian military struck the Yaroslavl-3 oil pumping station near the town of Semibratovo in Russia\u2019s Yaroslavl region, the Ukrainian General Staff said. The extent of the damage is being determined, it added. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Ukrainian new site The New Voice of Ukraine, eyewitness reports on social media said Kstovo and Yaroslavl were attacked by drones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In his nightly address on Monday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi said Russia\u2019s oil refining capacity had dropped by 10 per cent in recent months. He added that \u201cRussian oil companies are being forced to shut down their oil wells. This is even more significant. Given the nature of Russian oil production, this is what hurts them most \u2014 apart, of course, from losing money.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Russia\u2019s crude exports from its Novorossiysk port on the Black Sea tumbled last week, Bloomberg News said on May 12.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Four-week average crude flows were propelled down by the first drop in weekly shipments since March, with just one crude tanker leaving Novorossiysk in the seven days to May 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ukraine\u2019s attacks on Russian oil infrastructure climbed to the highest monthly level since December, cutting the neighboring nation\u2019s refinery runs to multi-year lows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There were at least 21 Ukrainian strikes on Russia\u2019s refineries, assets at sea \u2014 including export terminals \u2014 and oil pipeline infrastructure in April, according to data compiled by Bloomberg based on public statements from both countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There were at least nine strikes on Russia\u2019s oil-processing industry in April \u2014 the highest monthly level since the start of the year \u2014 the data gathered by Bloomberg show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ukraine\u2019s General Staff said earlier this month that Ukrainian strikes throughout April and on May 1 \u201ccaused damage to the port infrastructure in Tuapse and the Tuapse Oil Refinery amounting to over $300 million US dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Russia is holding major combat drills between May 19 and May 21 to practice preparing and using its nuclear forces in a threat scenario exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Russia\u2019s Strategic Missile Forces, Northern and Pacific Fleets, Long-Range Aviation Command and units from the Leningrad and Central Military Districts are taking part in the drills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The three-day exercise will involve 64,000 troops and more than 7,800 pieces of weapons and materiel, including over 200 missile launchers, more than 140 aircraft, 73 surface warships and 13 submarines, including eight armed with nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles, the Russian defense ministry said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Russian defense ministry said the drills largely aim to test the competencies of the commanders. It said it also planned to conduct a test launch of ballistic and cruise missiles on training grounds in Russia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a statement on Monday, Belarus\u2019 defense ministry said the exercise, which was held with units of the Russian armed forces, intended to test the military\u2019s readiness to launch nuclear weapons from mobile or unplanned launch sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In reaction to the drills, Ukraine\u2019s Foreign Affairs Ministry issued a statement on Monday, saying: \u201cThe deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus and the joint nuclear drills conducted by the two dictatorships represent an unprecedented challenge to the global security architecture.\u201d It also urged Ukraine\u2019s international allies to mount the pressure on Russia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Russia struck the center of Pryluky in Chernihiv region with a ballistic missile on Tuesday morning, head of the regional military administration Vyacheslav Chaus said. Three people were killed and 29 others injured. A fire started on the roof of the Epicenter construction mall as a result of the attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ukraine\u2019s \u200bstate energy \u200bcompany Naftogaz said on Tuesday that its infrastructure was under a major Russia attack for the third consecutive day. Russia targeted several gas infrastructure sites in Chernihiv region on Tuesday morning, the company said in a statement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs a result of drone strikes, critically important equipment at production facilities was damaged and destroyed. Personnel at one of the attacked facilities were evacuated. Most importantly, there were no injuries,\u201d the company\u2019s chairman of the board, Serhiy Koretskyi said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"