KYIV, Ukraine – Ukraine said Wednesday that its forces struck one of Russia’s largest oil refineries overnight, expanding its campaign against Moscow’s energy infrastructure just hours after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington to discuss continued support for Ukraine.
Ukraine’s General Staff said the overnight attack ignited a fire at the Ryazan oil refinery, one of Russia’s largest refining facilities. Ukrainian officials said the strike formed part of a broader strategy to increase military, economic and diplomatic pressure on Russia more than four years after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine Targets Major Russian Energy Facility
Ukraine’s General Staff said the Ryazan oil refinery, located about 400 kilometers (250 miles) from the Ukrainian border, has an annual refining capacity of approximately 17 million metric tons of crude oil and produces gasoline, diesel, aviation fuel and other petroleum products.
Ryazan regional Gov. Pavel Malkov confirmed that a drone attack had occurred, saying six people were hospitalized. He said falling drone debris caused fires at unspecified industrial facilities but did not identify the refinery as the target.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia must continue to face increasing costs for continuing the war.
“Russia must feel that every day of this war will only come at a higher cost for it. We need to weaken the aggressor and keep up the pressure to bring an end to this war closer,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media.
Washington Talks Focus on Continued Support
The refinery strike followed Zelenskyy’s visit to Washington, where he held closed-door talks with Trump on continued U.S. military and political support for Ukraine.
Zelenskyy described the meeting as “good,” while Trump wrote on Truth Social that it had been a “Great Honor” and said the leaders discussed a wide range of issues.
During his visit, Zelenskyy also met with more than 60 U.S. senators from both political parties as Ukraine continued seeking stronger sanctions against Russia.
He additionally held discussions with executives from Lockheed Martin and Raytheon regarding expanded defense cooperation, technology transfers and domestic production of Patriot air defense systems. Earlier this month, Trump said the United States would grant Ukraine licenses to manufacture Patriot systems needed to defend against Russian ballistic missile attacks.
Ukraine Highlights Drone and Defense Capabilities
Zelenskyy said Ukraine is prepared to share its combat-tested drone technologies as part of broader defense cooperation with international partners.
Ukraine’s rapid advances in unmanned systems have enabled its forces to strike deep inside Russian territory, disrupt logistics and offset Russia’s numerical advantage on the battlefield.
During a visit to Ukraine earlier this week, U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said Ukraine had demonstrated how unmanned systems could provide smaller militaries with significant advantages in reconnaissance, logistics and precision strike operations.
Despite diplomatic efforts by the Trump administration over the past year, prospects for a negotiated settlement remain uncertain.
A person familiar with the discussions, speaking on condition of anonymity because the talks were private, said presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are expected to visit Kyiv in the future.
Additional Military Operations Reported
Ukraine’s General Staff also reported strikes on a Russian naval base supporting the Black Sea Fleet, a radar installation in Russia’s Bryansk region, and a drone launch site and road bridge in Russian-occupied eastern Donetsk.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defense systems intercepted 295 Ukrainian drones overnight across multiple Russian regions and occupied Crimea. The ministry’s claims could not be independently verified.
Civilian Casualties Continue on Both Sides
Russian attacks also continued across Ukraine.
Oleksandr Prokudin, head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration, said a 67-year-old civilian was killed during Russian aerial attacks on the southern Kherson region. Three other men were wounded in drone strikes on residential neighborhoods in Kherson city.
In northeastern Ukraine, Kharkiv Regional Military Administration head Oleh Syniehubov said Russian glide bomb attacks struck Kharkiv and 17 other locations across the surrounding region during the previous 24 hours, injuring 11 people.
The latest military exchanges underscore the continued intensity of the conflict, with Ukraine combining long-range strikes, diplomatic engagement and expanded defense partnerships while Russia maintains sustained aerial attacks across Ukrainian territory.
This report is based on reporting by The Associated Press.
