A Russian Tu-95 strategic bomber has been struck by Ukraine, Kyiv claimed on Friday.
Russian Bomber Hit
The so-called “Bear” aircraft was hit at the Engels Air Base in Saratov Oblast, some 370 miles into Russian territory. The base is also home to vast stocks of ammunition and fuel, as well as aircraft maintenance facilities.
Tu-95. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Tu-95 Bomber from Russia. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Tu-95s are used by Russia to launch long-range cruise missiles. “These are the aircraft that are carrying out strikes against Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said.
“I thank all our warriors for their accuracy! All of this is a response to their strikes. Russians must feel what their war is like,” he went on.
He reported that the SBU’s Alpha special forces unit, the same unit that oversaw last year’s Operation Spiderweb, carried out the attack.
Key Oil Refinery Hit Again
Ukraine also confirmed a strike on the Slavneft-YANOS refinery overnight in Yaroslavl. The facility can process about 300,000 barrels of crude per day, or 15 million metric tons annually.
Friday’s attack was the eighth reported strike on the refinery in 2026.
The Kyiv Independent reported previous attacks on March 28, April 26, May 8, May 22, July 6, July 16 and August 6.
Video posted by Russian Telegram channels appeared to show at least two fires burning inside the refinery complex following the attack.
Yaroslavl Governor Mikhail Yevrayev said Russian air defenses had downed 67 drones over the region.
He said one person was killed and 27 others injured. Ten of those injuries were caused when drone debris fell on a bus, according to the governor.
The Russian Defense Ministry said 512 Ukrainian drones were intercepted overnight across Russia and occupied Crimea.
Moscow Faces Drone Barrage
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said two drones heading toward the city had been destroyed by air defenses.
“Two UAVs flying towards Moscow were destroyed by the Defense Ministry’s air defense system,” Sobyanin said. “Emergency services are working at the site where the debris fell.”
In Pavlovsky Posad, about 40 miles east of Moscow, a drone struck a Magnit grocery store and blew out dozens of windows at a nearby medical clinic, according to Russian officials.
Russian Warehouses Aiding Invasion Hit
Ukraine has also begun striking commercial logistics facilities that it says are linked to Russia’s war effort.
Drones attacked four hubs belonging to Ozon, Russia’s second-largest online retailer, on Monday.
Ozon said fires broke out at facilities near Krasnodar and in Makhachkala, and that several people were injured.
Reuters later reported that attackers targeted six Ozon facilities over three days.
The attacks followed previous Ukrainian strikes on facilities belonging to Wildberries, Ozon’s rival.
Kyiv has accused several Russian commercial logistics networks of moving military-linked equipment and supplies.
Overnight on Friday, Ukraine also faced another major aerial attack from Russia. Drones reportedly damaged 14 warehouses, 16 homes and a trio of apartment buildings in the Kyiv region. Nova Poshta sorting facilities near Kyiv and in Sumy were destroyed.
Ukrainians in Kherson have also been instructed to evacuate after Russian glide bombs struck the city’s thermal power station.
Franz-Stefan Gady, a Research Fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, recently told the WSJ that Moscow is now relying on the theory that “pain plus exhaustion produces political capitulation.” History, he added, suggests instead that “sustained air attack hardens societies rather than breaking them.”
Russia is Rationing Fuel
Gasoline shortages have been reported in Moscow and elsewhere, with some stations limiting purchases or running out of certain grades altogether.
“We have been to five petrol stations already, and there was no fuel,” one Moscow resident told Reuters last week.
The Kremlin has responded by restricting fuel exports, loosening some fuel-quality rules and importing petroleum products.
Russia is also preparing to extend its diesel export ban through September, Reuters reported. One industry source said keeping restrictions in place until the end of 2026 had also been discussed.
S&P Global also said Russia has received over 1 million barrels of gasoline by sea since the end of July. Three cargoes were also loaded at India’s Vadinar refinery and transferred near Egypt.
A separate shipment arrived from Morocco, but the origin of that fuel was unclear.
President Vladimir Putin warned last weekend that Ukraine’s strikes had opened a “Pandora’s box” of Russian retaliation.
A Russian drone also struck an Epicenter home-improvement store in Zaporizhzhia, injuring at least four people.
About the Author: Georgia Gilholy
Georgia Gilholy is a journalist based in the United Kingdom who has been published in Newsweek, The Times of Israel, and the Spectator. Gilholy writes about international politics, culture, and education.
