Recent Processing Facility Strike Reveals 'Absolutely No Secure Locations in Russia's Deep Rear'
Ukraine's UAVs have targeted Russia's oil processing plant in the city of Ufa, located approximately 1,400 kilometres from the Ukrainian border, causing blasts and a blaze, according to a source in Ukraine's SBU.
This constitutes the latest SBU deep strike in the region in the last month. Such strikes illustrate that there are no safe places in the far hinterland of the Russian state.
Ukrainian President Appeals to US President to Mediate Peace in the Conflict
Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the US President to facilitate a truce in Ukraine over a telephone conversation on the weekend.
"When a war can be stopped in one region, then undoubtedly other wars can be stopped as well, encompassing the Russian aggression," the President stated, praising Trump's "exceptional" Gaza ceasefire plan and requesting the American leader to influence the Russian government into talks.
Moscow's Attacks Kill Casualties in Ukraine
Strikes by Russia on Ukraine resulted in the deaths of several civilians on the weekend and caused blackouts to sections of the southern Odesa region, according to authorities in Ukraine.
Two people were killed inside a place of worship in the town when it was targeted, according to municipal sources.
In the Russian adjacent territory of the Belgorod region, a truck driver was killed by a attack from Ukraine, per municipal sources.
Energy Recovery Operations in Kyiv
Operations carried on on Saturday to restore power in Kyiv, after strikes by Moscow.
Power had been restored to over 800,000 residents by the weekend and the major power firm said the main efforts to repair the grid was finished though some outages continued.
Air Defence Actions and UAV Downings
The Ukrainian air defences neutralized 54 of 78 total Russian drones deployed targeting Ukraine in the dark hours, the aerial defense command announced on Saturday.
Russia's military authorities claimed it intercepted forty-two drones over the country's airspace.
Cuba Denies Allegations of Sending Soldiers to Ukraine
Cuba on the weekend denied American allegations it has provided military personnel to engage in the conflict in Ukraine, while declaring Cuban authorities "are without exact details about citizens of Cuba" engaged "independently" or "within the troops of either party".
The government department in the capital stated 26 nationals had been convicted to jail sentences ranging from five up to fourteen years for participating as mercenaries since the autumn of 2023 when information spread of Cuban nationals being sent to the frontlines in the conflict.
Surrender Initiative Project Reports Data on Cuban Enlistment
The surrender initiative, a official Kyiv project that promotes adversaries to surrender, reported in May: "We have confirmed the names and personal details of one thousand and twenty-eight Cubans who signed contracts with the Russian armed forces in 2023-2024."
The Cuban foreign ministry said of Cubans who might be engaged: "It is irrefutable that no individual has the support, commitment, or approval of the Cuban authorities for their actions."
Kin of individuals who left for Russia in the year told Agence France-Presse at the time that their loved ones had been deceptively recruited through promotions on social media.