Published on 6/21/2026
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Last update: 13:56 (Mecca time)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukrainian drones bombed an oil refinery in the Russian Tyumen region in western Siberia, more than two thousand kilometers away from Ukraine. He also threatened to “take measures” against Belarus if it did not dismantle what he called “intermediate Russian stations” on its territory.
Zelensky added that Ukraine has developed new long-range drones capable of hitting targets more than 3,000 kilometers away.
In his evening speech broadcast on television, Zelensky expressed his thanks to the Ukrainian “special operations” forces, which he said “have reached the Tyumen region in Russia, including an oil refining facility more than two thousand kilometers from the borders of our state. This is effective.”
Zelensky pledged that the Ukrainian military would continue its campaign of medium- and long-term strikes, focused on the oil sector.
Alexander Moore, the governor of the Tyumen region, had said earlier that “Russian air defenses repelled a drone attack on the oil refinery.” He added that initial reports indicate that there was no damage and that all workers were evacuated.
The Tyumen refinery is one of the largest privately owned oil refining facilities in Russia, with a refining capacity of about 151,000 barrels of crude oil per day, and it represents a major source of fuel for the local market.
On the other hand, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced, in a statement on Sunday, that the air defense forces shot down 239 Ukrainian drones overnight over Russian regions and the waters of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
In a related context, the Russian Governor of Crimea, Sergei Aksyonov, said that 4 people were killed and 28 others were injured in a Ukrainian drone attack on the Crimean Peninsula, which is under Moscow’s control.
Aksyonov confirmed that gas stations there have stopped all sales to individuals and companies, while limiting supplies to government agencies that ensure business and security on the peninsula.
On the other hand, authorities in the Russian Krasnodar region said that a Ukrainian drone attack resulted in the death of a person on board a passenger ferry and an oil station caught fire.
Several months ago, the Ukrainian army began a campaign of medium and long-range strikes on Russian targets, focusing mainly on the oil sector with the aim of obstructing Moscow’s ability to finance the war.
Warning and caution
In the same speech, the Ukrainian president warned that Russian forces were preparing to launch an imminent large-scale attack on Ukraine, and called on residents to be extremely cautious.
Zelensky added, “Tonight and in the coming hours, it is very important to pay close attention to air raid warnings.”
The Ukrainian Air Force announced, in a statement via the Telegram application, today, Sunday, that the Ukrainian Air Defense Forces shot down 96 out of 105 drones launched by Russia during an air attack on northern, southern, eastern and central Ukraine during the night.
In turn, Ivan Fedorov, the governor of the Zaporozhye region, said on the Telegram application, “Russian forces attacked the city in southeastern Ukraine on Saturday evening with slide bombs, killing 5 people and wounding 10 others.”
He added that the city was subjected to 9 attacks, and several residential buildings and other infrastructure were damaged.
In the southern Kherson region, the governor of the region, Oleksandr Prokudin, said that one person was killed in a drone attack on a village located north of the main city in the region, which also bears the name Kherson.
Local officials reported that 3 children were injured as a result of Russian bombing of the city of Poltava, located in the center of the country.
Russian strikes in various parts of the country resulted in the killing of at least 6 people yesterday, Saturday.
Russian forces launched a series of violent attacks on the capital, Kiev, in the past few weeks and on other major cities. The raids that took place last Monday resulted in the deaths of 10 people across the country and caused severe damage to the Pechersk Lavra, an ancient monastery dating back a thousand years and considered a symbol of Ukrainian spiritual and cultural heritage.
Deadline for Belarus
In a new development, the Ukrainian President gave his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko a week to dismantle four intermediate stations used by Russia to launch drone attacks on Ukrainian regions.
Zelensky said, “Ukraine is aware of the presence of equipment in Belarus that helps Russian military activities, and Belarus still has plenty of time to dismantle this equipment. We are also aware of every factory in Belarus that works for Russia and supports the war.”
He stressed that a week’s deadline gives Lukashenko enough time to remove this support equipment from his country, threatening to take action if he does not do so, as he said, “If he does not do so, we will take care of the matter,” but he did not provide further details.
In his latest comments on Belarus, Zelensky again referred to the country’s huge oil refining sector and the role he said it played in the Russian war effort.
He continued, “Belarus has increased its oil supplies to Russia by 13 times in the period from January to May compared to the same period last year, while diesel supplies have increased three-fold, which helps Russia adapt to the pressures and does not bring us closer to peace at all.”
