Kyiv, Ukraine – The war in Ukraine took another sharp escalation this weekend as Ukrainian forces claimed responsibility for a wave of drone strikes deep inside Russian territory, targeting critical energy and military infrastructure. According to Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces (USF), the coordinated attacks struck a major Russian oil refinery in Ryazan, an oil storage facility in Voronezh, a military airfield in Primorsko-Akhtarsk, and an electronics factory in Penza that supplies Russia’s defense industry.

In an official statement on Telegram, the USF reported that the strike on the Ryazan oil refinery, located about 180 kilometers southeast of Moscow, caused a fire on-site. The facility is a key part of Russia’s fuel production network and its damage could disrupt regional fuel supplies.

The second target, the Annanefteprodukt oil storage facility in Voronezh—just across the border from northeastern Ukraine—was also reportedly hit. These facilities are vital for fueling both civilian and military operations in Russia’s western regions.

The Ukrainian military did not specify the exact method of attack, but the USF is known for using long-range kamikaze drones capable of carrying explosive warheads hundreds of kilometers.

While Moscow has yet to comment directly on the refinery and factory strikes, Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed that air defense systems intercepted or destroyed 112 Ukrainian drones across eight Russian regions and the Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula overnight.

In addition, Russian officials reported several deadly incidents connected to falling drone debris:

Ukraine’s own cities were not spared. The Ukrainian Air Force said Russia launched 53 drones and decoys at Ukrainian territory overnight, with 45 intercepted or jammed by air defenses.

In Kharkiv region, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported that 11 people were wounded in a drone strike late Friday night. In Kyiv, the capital is still reeling from Thursday’s deadly Russian missile and drone barrage that killed 31 people, including five children, and injured more than 150.

Rescue crews in Kyiv have been pulling survivors from the rubble of an apartment building destroyed in the attack, while the city observed a day of mourning on Friday.

Ukraine’s SBU intelligence agency confirmed its drones also targeted the Primorsko-Akhtarsk military airfield, a key launch site for Russian long-range drone attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. The SBU further claimed a successful strike on a Penza electronics factory, alleging it produces components for Russia’s military-industrial complex.

These attacks demonstrate Ukraine’s increasing capability to project power deep into Russian territory. At the start of the war in 2022, Ukraine lacked long-range strike capacity, but over the past three years, it has developed and deployed advanced unmanned aerial systems capable of bypassing Russian defenses.

On the eastern front, Russia’s Defence Ministry claimed its forces captured the village of Oleksandro-Kalynove in Donetsk region on Saturday. While Reuters could not independently verify this claim, it underscores the ongoing push by Russian forces to secure more territory.

Russian forces currently control nearly 20% of Ukraine’s east and south, more than three and a half years into the full-scale invasion.

The intensified attacks come against the backdrop of U.S. President Donald Trump’s renewed push for a ceasefire. Earlier this week, Trump shortened his proposed deadline for Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to peace—from 50 days to August 8.

Trump announced Thursday that special envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Moscow to press for a ceasefire. The U.S. president has threatened tougher economic sanctions if Russia does not engage seriously in peace talks.

Despite this diplomatic pressure, Moscow’s military operations appear to be continuing at full pace, showing little sign of a strategic pause.

The weekend’s developments mark one of the most significant series of Ukrainian deep-strike operations inside Russia since the war began. By targeting oil infrastructure, storage facilities, and defense industry assets, Ukraine is signaling its intention to disrupt Russia’s logistics, fuel supply, and military production capabilities.

With both sides exchanging large-scale drone attacks, civilian casualties mounting, and diplomatic negotiations uncertain, the risk of further escalation remains high.

For now, the strikes have intensified the war’s technological dimension, highlighting the central role of long-range drone warfare in modern conflicts—and raising questions about how both countries will adapt to this rapidly evolving battlefield.