Ukraine war latest: Russian fuel storage facility of 'national importance' struck in Udmurt Republic, General Staff says
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Key developments on July 28:
- Ukraine strikes Russian fuel storage facility of 'national importance' in Udmurt Republic, General Staff says
- Moscow Oblast industrial plant reportedly struck by Ukrainian drones, blackout in occupied Crimea
- Zelensky says meeting with Trump was 'good,' covered Patriot licenses, diplomacy
- 2 Skelia soldiers charged with torturing comrades as abuse investigation widens
- Ukraine brought back almost 50 children from Russian-occupied territory in July
Ukrainian forces struck the Russian state-owned Prioritet fuel storage facility in Borok, Udmurt Republic, on 27 July, the General Staff confirmed.
The General Staff said on July 28 that the strike was successful, triggering a fire at the site. It added that the facility lies more than 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) from Ukraine's border.
The Prioritet facility is part of Russia's State Material Reserve (Rosrezerv) system. It serves as a "major oil depot of national importance," storing fuel, petroleum products, and lubricants intended for use during emergencies and to support military needs.
Aleksandr Brechalov, head of Russia's Udmurt Republic, wrote on Telegram on July 27 that air defense forces were repelling "the most intense attack" in recent times on targets in the republic.
He said there were no casualties and emergency services were working at the scene.
"Just a reminder — the enemy's aim is to spread panic, but we're in this together. I would urge you not to fall for provocations and not to spread false information," Brechalov said.
Russian independent outlet Astra reported on July 27 that its OSINT analysis indicated that the Prioritet facility had been hit.
Moscow Oblast industrial plant reportedly struck by Ukrainian drones, blackout in occupied Crimea
Ukrainian drones targeted a Moscow Oblast steel fabrication plant, and a blackout was reported in occupied Crimea amid overnight strikes on July 28, according to monitoring channels.
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed 356 Ukrainian drones had been downed overnight, including those over Moscow Oblast and occupied Crimea.
The Hydrostalkonstruktsiya steel fabrication factory was struck by Ukrainian drones in Chekhov, Moscow Oblast, as Russian air defenses were engaged, Telegram news channel Exilenova Plus reported.
Moscow Oblast Governor Andrey Vorobyov confirmed a Ukrainian drone attack targeted the town of Chekhov, reporting that a residential building was struck.
Tires caught fire in an open area after drone debris fell nearby, he said, adding that a home in the nearby village of Vaulovo caught fire.
A third-party logistics warehouse serving several Russian companies in the village of Koledino, located just 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of Moscow, was set ablaze in the attack as well, Telegram channel Supernova Plus reported.
Earlier in the night, an electric substation in the occupied city of Feodosia in southeastern Crimea was struck by Ukrainian drones, leaving much of the city without power, according to a pro-Ukrainian Telegram channel, Crimean Wind.
The details could not be immediately verified by the Kyiv Independent.
Ukraine's General Staff said that overnight on July 28, Ukrainian troops struck a logistics depot and a fuel and lubricants depot near the village of Ichki, Crimea.
Zelensky says meeting with Trump was 'good,' covered Patriot licenses, diplomacy
President Volodymyr Zelensky met U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on July 28 to discuss a renewed diplomatic effort to end Russia's war against Ukraine.
"It was a good meeting," Zelensky said. "The President and I discussed licenses for Patriot interceptor production and several other ideas that could help."
"We also spoke about diplomacy — it's important that the diplomatic process be reinvigorated. Our teams will arrange the details of their further communication."
The Ukrainian president's advisers believe Trump has become more favorable toward Ukraine, making the meeting their best opportunity to secure his backing.
According to one person familiar with the matter, Zelensky and Trump were expected to discuss a proposal for an air truce that would later be presented to the Russian side. Zelensky was also expected to push for additional Patriot interceptors.
The meeting also comes as Washington and Kyiv seek to revive stalled peace efforts and follows the two presidents' previous meeting on July 8, when Trump approved Ukraine's longstanding request to produce U.S.-designed Patriot missiles under license.
According to one U.S. official, the White House believes both sides may now have incentives to accept an air ceasefire. Ukraine is seeking to preserve its limited missile defense capabilities, while Russia faces growing pressure from Ukrainian strikes.
2 Skelia soldiers charged with torturing comrades as abuse investigation widens
Ukraine's State Bureau of Investigation has charged two service members from the medical unit of the 425th Separate Assault Regiment, known as Skelia, with allegedly torturing and unlawfully detaining two fellow soldiers, the agency said on July 28.
The investigation followed a report by the Ukrainian outlet Babel, which alleged widespread abuse within the regiment and documented at least 26 noncombat deaths among recruits between late 2025 and spring 2026. The report cited testimonies from current and former soldiers, relatives of mobilized servicemen, as well as medical records, court documents, and forensic examinations.
According to the State Bureau of Investigation, the alleged abuse took place in May 2026 in Ukraine's Kirovohrad Oblast after victims were discharged from the hospital for violating hospital rules and transferred to the regiment's medical unit.
The suspects allegedly decided to "punish" the soldiers for disciplinary violations. Investigators say they repeatedly beat the two servicemen before locking them inside a utility building, where the abuse continued.
One of the victims lost consciousness and was hospitalized with a traumatic brain injury, a broken nose, and other injuries, according to the State Bureau of Investigation. The second soldier was allegedly held for nearly another day before also being hospitalized with a traumatic brain injury and multiple bruises.
Both suspects have been detained and charged with torture and violating statutory rules governing relations between servicemen involving violence and abuse against multiple victims. If convicted, they face up to 10 years in prison, the bureau said.
Ukraine brought back almost 50 children from Russian-occupied territory in July
Ukraine has brought back 47 children and teenagers from Russian-occupied territories to areas under its control in recent weeks, Save Ukraine, a Ukrainian humanitarian NGO, said in statements on July 15 and 22.
"However, thousands of children remain trapped under occupation, where they are forced to forget their roots and are openly being prepared for war. But we will not stop," a July 22 statement read.
Among the rescued children was 13-year-old Anhelina, who suffered a shrapnel wound in her own backyard. At the hospital in a Russian-occupied territory, the girl was not only denied treatment but was also threatened with being taken away from her mother because she lacked Russian documents.
Under Russian occupation, it's nearly impossible to get medical treatment without Russian documents. This is part of Russia's policy of forced passportization in occupied Ukraine.
Another child, Tymur, 18, "miraculously" survived when an armed Russian soldier burst into his home and fired several shots directly at him. Beyond the immediate threat to his life, the occupying regime threatened him with forced conscription, which ultimately drove him to flee.
Save Ukraine did not specify from which regions the rescued children came.
