Recent Refinery Attack Shows 'No Secure Areas in the Russian Deep Rear'

Ukraine's UAVs have struck Russia's Bashneft facility in the city of Ufa, located approximately 1,400 km from Ukraine, causing explosions and a blaze, as reported by a source in the Ukrainian Security Service.

This constitutes the latest SBU deep strike in the region in the recent weeks. These strikes illustrate that there are no secure zones in the far hinterland of the Russia.

Zelenskyy Appeals to US President to Broker Ceasefire in Ukraine

Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to President Trump to mediate a ceasefire in the Ukrainian conflict in a call on Saturday.

"Provided that a war can be stopped in a particular zone, then surely further hostilities can be stopped as well, encompassing the Russian war," Zelenskyy stated, hailing Trump's "outstanding" Middle East truce proposal and calling for the President to pressure the Kremlin into talks.

Moscow's Strikes Take Casualties in the Country

Strikes by Russia on Ukraine killed at least 5 individuals on the weekend and cut power to parts of Ukraine's south Odesa oblast, according to authorities in Ukraine.

Two civilians lost their lives inside a place of worship in the town when it was struck, according to local authorities.

In Russia's frontier area of Belgorod, a truck driver was killed by a attack from Ukraine, according to local officials.

Electricity Repair Work in Kyiv

Work continued on the weekend to repair energy infrastructure in Kyiv, after strikes by Moscow.

Power had been returned to over 800,000 inhabitants by the weekend and the biggest utility provider said the primary work to restore power was finished though some outages continued.

Anti-Aircraft Efforts and Drone Interceptions

Ukraine's air defences intercepted or jammed fifty-four of seventy-eight enemy drones sent against the country during the night, the aerial defense command reported on Saturday.

The Russian defense officials claimed it eliminated forty-two UAVs from Ukraine over Russian territory.

Cuba Denies Allegations of Sending Forces to the War

Cuba on the weekend rejected American allegations it has provided troops to participate in the Ukraine war, while declaring officials in Havana "do not have exact data about Cuban nationals" involved "independently" or "within the troops of both sides".

The ministry in Havana said twenty-six Cubans had been convicted to prison terms varying between five up to fourteen years for mercenary activity since last September when news emerged of individuals being dispatched to the front in the conflict.

Surrender Initiative Project Reveals Information on Cuban National Involvement

The program, a state program that promotes enemy combatants to lay down arms, stated in May: "We reliably know the names and personal details of over a thousand Cubans who enlisted with the Russian armed forces in 2023-2024."

The government in Havana stated of Cubans who might be engaged: "Undeniably that no individual have the backing, allegiance, or approval of the Cuban state for their actions."

Relatives of Cubans who traveled to the Russian Federation in the year told international media at the time that their relatives had been deceptively recruited through ads on social media.