Latest Processing Facility Assault Reveals 'Absolutely No Secure Locations in the Russian Far Hinterland'
Ukrainian drones have targeted Russia's oil facility in Ufa, located some 1,400 km from the Ukrainian border, triggering explosions and a blaze, as reported by a source in the Ukrainian Security Service.
This represents the 3rd SBU deep strike in the region in the past month. Such strikes illustrate that there are no safe places in the far hinterland of the Russian Federation.
Zelenskyy Urges US President to Mediate Truce in the Conflict
Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged President Trump to mediate a ceasefire in the Ukrainian conflict over a phone call on the weekend.
"When a conflict can be ended in a single area, then certainly additional conflicts can be halted as well, covering the Russian aggression," he said, praising Trump's "remarkable" Gaza ceasefire plan and calling for the US president to pressure the Kremlin into negotiations.
Russian Attacks Kill Victims in the Country
Strikes by Russia on Ukrainian territory resulted in the deaths of 5 individuals on the weekend and disrupted electricity to sections of the south Odesa oblast, as stated by local sources.
Two civilians died in a religious building in the town when it was hit, as reported by municipal sources.
In Russia's adjacent territory of the Belgorod region, a truck driver was killed by a Ukrainian strike, as stated by regional authorities.
Energy Recovery Efforts in Kyiv
Operations continued on Saturday to restore power in Kyiv, after strikes by Moscow.
Electricity had been returned to over 800,000 inhabitants by the weekend and the largest power firm announced the main work to recover electricity was concluded though partial blackouts continued.
Anti-Aircraft Operations and Drone Jamming
Ukraine's air defences neutralized fifty-four of 78 enemy drones launched against Ukraine overnight, the aerial defense command reported on Saturday.
The Russian defence ministry claimed it shot down 42 drones over the country's airspace.
Cuba Rejects Allegations of Deploying Troops to the War
The Cuban government on the weekend denied American claims it has sent military personnel to engage in the Ukraine war, while declaring the government "lack precise information about citizens of Cuba" engaged "voluntarily" or "within the troops of the conflicting parties".
The foreign ministry in Havana stated 26 Cuban citizens had been sentenced to incarceration from five to 14 years for participating as mercenaries since September 2023 when news spread of Cubans being deployed to the battlefield in Ukraine.
I Want to Live Initiative Discloses Data on Cuban National Recruitment
I Want to Live, a Ukrainian government program that promotes enemy combatants to lay down arms, reported in May: "Our information indicates the identities and information of over a thousand Cuban nationals who enlisted with the Russian armed forces in recently."
The Cuban foreign ministry said of Cubans who might be involved: "Undeniably that not a single one possesses the encouragement, allegiance, or consent of the Cuban authorities for their activities."
Relatives of Cubans who left for Russia in 2023 informed Agence France-Presse at the time that their loved ones had been tricked into joining through advertisements on online platforms.