Putin humiliated as Ukrainian drone strikes ignite inferno at Russian oil refinery

Ukraine's relentless drone campaign has dealt another blow to Russia's war machine, setting fire to the Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat petrochemical plant in Bashkortostan, more than 800 miles from the front lines. The attack, reported by local authorities on Wednesday, marks a bold escalation in Kyiv's strategy to cripple Moscow's energy infrastructure, a key pillar funding its invasion.

As Ukrainian defenders repelled 172 Russian assaults across the front, the drone strikes appear to signal a war fought on two fronts: the battlefield and Russia's economic heart. Confirming the attack on Telegram, Radiy Khabirov, head of Bashkortostan, said: "All emergency services are working on site, and efforts to extinguish the fire are underway." He noted ongoing damage assessments but remained silent on casualties.

Footage shared by independent outlet Astra showed a thick plume of black smoke rising near the plant, with locals reporting "loud noises" shattering the early morning calm. Ukraine has not officially commented, maintaining its trademark silence on such operations.

The Salavat facility, a linchpin in Russia's oil refining and petrochemical sector, was previously hit on September 18 by Ukraine's SBU, causing a "massive explosion," one source told the Kyiv Independent.

This latest strike compounds the damage, targeting a plant critical to Moscow's war economy. Kyiv considers such infrastructure "valid military targets," as they fuel Russia's aggression.

The attack follows another Ukrainian drone strike on September 23 which halted production at the Gazprom-owned Astrakhan gas processing plant, 400 miles from Ukraine's border, with flames ravaging a condensate unit producing 3 million metric tons of gas and diesel annually.

Production is likely to remain offline for weeks or months, with fuel sales already cancelled on the St Petersburg exchange. The Financial Times noted that Ukraine's drone campaign has slashed Russia's refining capacity by over a million barrels per day, driving diesel exports to their lowest since 2020.

On the ground, Ukraine's General Staff reported intense fighting, stating: "Ukrainian defenders steadfastly hold back the onslaught of the occupiers, inflicting significant losses on the enemy."

Over the past 24 hours, Russia launched "one missile and 53 air strikes, used two missiles and dropped 105 guided bombs," alongside 4,970 attacks, including "122 from multiple launch rocket systems" and 5,995 kamikaze drones.

Airstrikes hit Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, while Russian assaults targeted multiple fronts.

Ukrainian forces repelled 64 attacks in Pokrovsk, 33 in Novopavlivka, and 17 in Toretsk, with fighting also intense in Kupiansk, Lyman, and Kramatorsk.

The General Staff noted: "Our soldiers inflict significant losses in manpower and equipment on the occupation forces, actively undermining the enemy's offensive potential in the rear."

Ukrainian strikes hit three Russian troop concentrations, a weapons warehouse, and a command post. Russian losses included "970 people," two tanks, three armoured vehicles, 43 artillery systems, two aircraft, 334 drones, and 130 vehicles in a single day.

President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking after a meeting with US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, highlighted the growing trust in Ukraine's intelligence, saying: "Gradually, he realised that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin was simply sharing some information that was far from the truth on the battlefield. Now he trusts me much more because the information that my intelligence has, that we share with our partners."

Mr Trump, posting on Truth Social, said: "Russia has been fighting aimlessly for three and a half years a war that should have taken a real military power less than a week to win. This is not distinguishing Russia. In fact, it is very much making them look like "a paper tiger."