Ukraine strikes Russia's Ufa oil refinery for second time in a week; Zelenskyy calls it just response

Ukrainian forces struck Russia's key Ufa oil refinery for the second time in a week on Wednesday, July 1, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. The Ufa refinery is one of Russia's largest lubricant producers and lies more than 1,000 kilometres from Ukraine.

In a post on X, Zelenskyy wrote: "This is an entirely just response to everything Russia is doing against us. Peace is needed, and this is exactly what Russia’s leadership must realise." He added that Russia has every opportunity to end the war and thanked Ukrainian warriors for ensuring long-range accuracy.

Ukraine also hit a plant producing missile components in Russia's Penza region, some 500 kilometres away. Russian officials did not confirm the strikes, which could not be independently verified. The Russian Defence Ministry reported intercepting 179 Ukrainian drones over 16 regions, annexed Crimea, and the Azov and Black Sea waters.

Almost daily long-range attacks on Russian oil facilities have caused a fuel crisis and political pressure on the Kremlin as the full-scale invasion of Ukraine continues into its fifth year. On Sunday, President Vladimir Putin acknowledged for the first time a "certain deficit" of fuel.

Ukraine's domestically developed drones and missiles have been hammering Russian oil infrastructure for months. Many Russian regions have introduced fuel rationing. Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Russians now face major problems delivering infantry and supplies to the front line.

Meanwhile, Russia launched fewer drones and missiles at Ukraine in June compared to May, according to AFP analysis, while Ukraine intensified its retaliatory strikes against Russia.