Ukraine war latest: Russia's Syzran oil refinery halts operations following May 21 Ukrainian drone strike
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Key developments on May 26:
- Syzran oil refinery halts operation after May 21 Ukrainian drone strike, Ukraine's General Staff reports
- Ukraine using 'secret' strike drones to devastate Russian logistics on crucial highway, Nemesis Brigade says
- 'Russia's true attitude' — Iskander missile strike damages UN humanitarian warehouse in Dnipro
- Lavrov warns Rubio of planned strikes on Kyiv's 'decision-making centers,' urges US embassy evacuation as EU vows to stay
- Russian attacks kill 8, injure over 100 across Ukraine over past day as Kremlin threatens intensified strikes on Kyiv
An oil refinery in the Russian city of Syzran in the Samara Oblast had shut down following a May 21 Ukrainian drone strike, the General Staff confirmed on May 26.
"The Ukrainian Defense Forces will continue to systematically take measures to compel the Russian Federation to cease its armed aggression against Ukraine," the General Staff said in a statement on Telegram.
Russia has not reacted to the General Staff's claim as of the publication time.
President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on May 21 that long-range Ukrainian drones hit the Syzran oil refinery overnight, located more than 800 kilometers (500 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
Ukraine using 'secret' strike drones to devastate Russian logistics on crucial highway, Nemesis Brigade says
Russia has blocked the key "Novorossiya" logistics route in occupied southern Ukraine due to strike drone attacks, the 412th Nemesis Brigade said on May 26 on Telegram.
Highway R-280, which Russian occupation authorities have also named the "Novorossiya" route, runs through the occupied Ukrainian cities of Mariupol in Donetsk Oblast, Melitopol in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, and Simferopol in occupied Crimea.
The 412th Brigade Nemesis said it had tested a new "secret" attack drone, which it claimed proved effective deep behind Russian lines, destroying "dozens" of trucks and fuel tankers.
Following Ukrainian strikes, Russia has limited the movement of heavy equipment along the highway, with Ukrainian forces striking vehicles trying to circumvent it using dirt roads and field paths, the brigade added.
"We are using secret strike 'wings' that have not previously been seen in the public domain," the statement read.
"Thanks to close collaboration between the 412th Nemesis Brigade and the manufacturer, we have succeeded in creating a system that is perfectly tailored to these specific tasks."
'Russia's true attitude' — Iskander missile strike damages UN humanitarian warehouse in Dnipro
Russia carried out a "targeted" Iskander missile strike on a U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse in Dnipro on May 25, according to a statement from the WFP.
The strike on the warehouse destroyed a significant amount of food intended for people in front-line areas, enough to feed 130,000 people and valued at an estimated $1.4 million, the WFP said.
No U.N. World Food Programme staff members were injured in the attack, and the organization is assessing the extent of the damage and losses.
Richard Reagan, Director of the U.N. World Food Programme in Ukraine, said the warehouse had been damaged for a second time, adding that it was previously hit by a drone in November 2025.
After the attack, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha called on U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to use "all available instruments and authority" to compel Russia to halt "reckless attacks" on humanitarian operations.
"This attack is yet another demonstration of Russia's true attitude toward the U.N. and its member states, as well as its blatant disregard for the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law," Sybiha said on X on May 26.
Lavrov warns Rubio of planned strikes on Kyiv's 'decision-making centers,' urges US embassy evacuation as EU vows to stay
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a phone call on May 25 that Moscow would begin strikes on Ukrainian "decision-making centers" and urged Washington to evacuate the embassy, according to a Russian Foreign Ministry readout.
Russia framed the planned strikes as retaliation for a Ukrainian attack in occupied Luhansk Oblast. Moscow claimed the strike hit a dormitory in the city of Starobilsk, while Ukraine said it targeted a Russian drone command facility.
According to the Russian readout, Lavrov warned Rubio of "systematic and consistent strikes" on Kyiv and referenced earlier recommendations by Moscow that foreign diplomatic missions evacuate personnel from the Ukrainian capital.
Following the call, Rubio said he relayed Lavrov's message to U.S. President Donald Trump.
European leaders and diplomats signaled they would remain in Kyiv despite Moscow's warnings, rejecting what they described as an attempt to intimidate and isolate Ukraine. Katarina Mathernova, the European Union's ambassador to Ukraine, said the bloc "is not going anywhere."
Russian attacks kill 8, injure over 100 across Ukraine over past day as Kremlin threatens intensified strikes on Kyiv
Russian attacks killed eight civilians and injured 105 others across eight Ukrainian regions on May 26, as Moscow warned Washington that it would continue carrying out "systemic" strikes against Kyiv.
Russia continued its deadly attacks on Ukrainian civilians overnight on May 26, launching two Iskander-M ballistic missiles and 122 drones, including Shahed-type jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), Ukraine's Air Force said.
Ukrainian air defenses intercepted 111 drones over the country's north, south, and east, while nine others struck targets across 11 locations. The fall of debris was recorded at three additional sites, the Air Force said.
The Air Force did not specify whether the Iskander-M missiles were intercepted or whether the missile attack caused any damage.
Russian attacks across Kharkiv Oblast killed three people and injured 33 others over the past day, targeting the regional capital of Kharkiv and 14 other settlements, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.
In Donetsk Oblast, four people were killed in Russian attacks over the past day in the village of Yasnohirka, while another 23 people were wounded across the region, the local authorities said.
Russia also struck the southern port city of Odesa overnight on May 26, killing one person and injuring three others. The attack also caused damage to local infrastructure, Governor Serhii Lysak said.
In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, 24 people were injured over the past day as a result of Russian attacks. Russian forces struck five districts in the region using artillery, drones, and missiles, Governor Oleksandr Hanzha said.
In Kherson Oblast, Russian forces targeted 35 settlements, including the regional center of Kherson, injuring 10 people, including a child, over the past day, the local military administration said.
In Sumy Oblast, nine people suffered injuries due to Russian strikes across the region, according to the local military administration.
In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, two people were injured as Russian forces carried out 787 strikes on 39 settlements across the region, the local military administration said.
In Poltava Oblast, a Russian attack destroyed a house, trapping a woman under the rubble before rescuers were able to pull her out alive, Governor Vitalii Diakivnych said.
