Ukraine war latest: Russia rains ballistic missiles on Kyiv as Ukrainian drones hit refineries, warehouses, airfields, ships
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Key developments on Aug. 1-2:
- Russian oil refinery, airbase, Wildberries warehouse reportedly struck by Ukrainian forces
- Ukraine sinks sanctioned Russian ship in Black Sea, Zelensky says
- Ukraine strikes 3 oil refineries, 4 radar systems deep inside Russia, SBU says
- 'Putin has to be stopped' — 9 killed, dozens injured in Kyiv as Russia launches 2nd major attack on Ukraine in 48 hours
Ukrainian forces struck a Russian air base in Engels and an oil refinery in Saratov Oblast overnight on Aug. 2, Ukraine's General Staff confirmed after reports by monitoring channels.
Ukrainian forces struck "a target" at Russia's Engels air base, causing a fire, the military said without specifying what was hit. The base is home to Tu-95MS and Tu-160 strategic bombers used by Moscow to launch missile attacks on Ukraine.
A fire reportedly broke out at an oil refinery in the nearby Russian city of Saratov after it was struck by Ukrainian drones.
The Saratov refinery is one of the largest in Russia's Povolzhye region, processing around 7 million metric tons of crude oil annually and supporting Russia's military-industrial complex.
According to Saratov Oblast Governor Roman Busargin, two people were killed in the strikes, and civilian infrastructure in both cities was damaged. The Ukrainian military has not commented on the claims.
The General Staff also said its forces hit the Lyudinovskaya oil depot in Kaluga Oblast as well as a Russian drone launch site near Navlya in Bryansk Oblast.
In the town of Novosemeykino in Samara Oblast, a warehouse belonging to Wildberries was set ablaze after it was struck, Russian Telegram channel Exilenova Plus reported.
Samara Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev said that the airspace above the region was closed amid the threat of a drone attack.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify these reports at the time of publication.
In recent weeks, Ukrainian forces have conducted a sustained strike campaign against Wildberries logistics centers across Russia.
The retail giant lists a range of military equipment on its website, including drone components and body armor. Meanwhile, the company's banking arm was sanctioned by the EU in July over its financial contribution to Russia's state budget.
Ukraine sinks sanctioned Russian ship in Black Sea, Zelensky says
Ukrainian forces sank the Russian-flagged container ship Yanina in the Black Sea overnight on Aug. 1, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on X.
Zelensky said Yanina was a sanctioned Russian container ship with a capacity of more than 100,000 metric tons.
Maritime shipping remains important to Russia’s ability to sustain its war, allowing Russian companies to move goods, maintain supply chains, and generate revenue despite international sanctions, all of which help Russia finance its invasion of Ukraine.
"Our targets are consistently defined facilities that sustain the war effort," Zelensky wrote on X.
Zelensky added that the ship was struck as Ukrainian forces carried out operations against targets in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov using domestically produced "middle-strike" weapons.
"Grateful to Ukrainian warriors who are bringing the war back to Russia and responding to its attacks against life," he said.
Russia's state nuclear corporation Rosatom also confirmed that the container ship had sunk in the Black Sea after being struck by two Ukrainian naval drones, the Russian newspaper Kommersant reported.
The attack reportedly occurred in international waters around 130 nautical miles from the Russian port of Novorossiysk, Rosatom chief Alexey Likhachev said, adding that all 17 crew members were rescued.
Rosatom claimed the ship had been transporting civilian goods, including frozen food and construction materials, and described the attack as "piracy."
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify Russian claims about the attack.
Ukraine strikes 3 oil refineries, 4 radar systems deep inside Russia, SBU says
Ukraine struck three oil refineries in Russia's Bashkortostan Republic and four radar systems in Krasnodar Krai overnight on Aug. 1, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said on Aug. 1.
Drones targeted three facilities in Ufa, the capital of Bashkortostan: the Bashneft-Ufimsky, Bashneft-Novoil, and Bashneft-Ufaneftekhim refineries.
The facilities belong to Bashneft and form one of Russia's largest oil-refining clusters, with a combined annual processing capacity of more than 23 million metric tons of crude oil, the SBU said.
The refineries reportedly produce gasoline, diesel, aviation fuel, lubricants, and other petroleum products, including supplies used by the Russian military.
Zelensky confirmed the strikes, saying the targets were located nearly 1,600 kilometers (994 miles) away.
"These refineries process millions of tons of oil each year. Our long-range sanctions plan is being implemented step by step," Zelensky wrote on X.
A fire was earlier reported at the Bashneft-Ufaneftekhim refinery following the drone attack.
Geolocated footage published by the independent Russian outlet ASTRA showed two columns of black smoke rising from the refinery. Local residents reported hearing explosions and seeing drones over the city.
Bashkortostan Governor Radiy Khabirov confirmed that drones had targeted Ufa, but claimed the attack had been repelled.
According to Khabirov, debris from a downed drone fell in an industrial area, causing smoke. No casualties were reported.
Bashneft-Ufaneftekhim is part of the Bashneft oil company, which is controlled by the Russian state-owned energy giant Rosneft. The refinery produces motor fuel, liquefied gas, petroleum coke, sulfur, and other petroleum products.
The SBU also said its drones struck three Podlet-K1 radar systems and one Kasta-2E2 radar station in Russia's Krasnodar Krai. The systems are used to detect aerial targets.
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed it shot down 274 drones across Russian territory, occupied Crimea, the Black Sea, and the Azov Sea overnight.
'Putin has to be stopped' — 9 killed, dozens injured in Kyiv as Russia launches 2nd major attack on Ukraine in 48 hours
At least nine people have been killed and more than 30 others injured in another massive Russian ballistic missile strike on Kyiv overnight on Aug. 1. The attack gave residents only a few minutes' warning before impact, leaving many trapped beneath the rubble of their homes.
"We heard explosions almost immediately after the air raid alert went off. Then another one. And another," 38-year-old Lidiia Synovska told the Kyiv Independent outside her damaged apartment in the capital's Solomianskyi district.
"How were we supposed to get to a shelter? We didn't even have time to take cover."
Russia's use of ballistic missiles meant those living in the capital had little time to take cover from the second mass Russian attack in just 48 hours. Videos posted on social media appear to show some victims had been running toward shelters moments before they were struck.
Ukraine's State Emergency Service (DSNS) said rescue operations were ongoing, with at least nine people confirmed dead and 28 others injured, including four children, adding a total of 105 people had been rescued from damaged buildings. Among those injured, 17 were hospitalized, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported.
Fires and damage to residential buildings and industrial facilities were reported in at least five districts of the city. Eighteen residential buildings, a school, the Lithuanian embassy and infrastructure facilities were damaged, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a post on social media.
In the Darnytskyi district alone, seven people were killed and another 14 were injured, including two children, DSNS reported.
"I want to ask the world, which is so afraid of Putin, not to be afraid of him. He has to be stopped. He is a monstrous person, and the society that supports him is deeply sick," Zhanna Maidanska, whose relatives lived in a partially destroyed building in the Solomianskyi district, told the Kyiv Independent.
"They have no right to bring only grief wherever they go. They create nothing. They build nothing. They don’t strive for good. They are a country rich in oil and gas — they could have prospered. Instead, they choose to spread death."
Maidanska's aunt and brother both survived the attack but are currently in hospital.
Later, DSNS reported that one person had been killed and six others injured in Kyiv Oblast after a Russian drone struck a logistics center in the Brovary district.
Three more people were injured in a separate Russian attack in the Bucha district, DSNS said.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda condemned the attack, saying that one of the missiles had exploded just steps from its embassy, damaging the building but without casualties among its staff.
"This is yet another reminder that Russia's terror knows no limits. And that Ukraine is defending not only its own people, but the security of all Europe," Nauseda said, calling on Ukraine's allies to provide more modern air defense systems to save lives.
Ukraine's Air Force said a total of 35 missiles — 27 of which were ballistic — and 185 Shahed-type drones were launched against Ukraine overnight, the vast majority targeting Kyiv. Only two missiles were intercepted, while 154 drones were shot down.
"Only one ballistic missile was shot down tonight simply because there are no missiles for the Patriots," Zelensky said.
"And it is precisely this shortage of interceptors against ballistics that only encourages Russia to launch such strikes against life."
