At least two people were killed and two others injured by falling drone debris at the Afipsky railway station, after the Afipsky oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar region caught fire following an attack, regional governor Veniamin Kondratyev confirmed on Tuesday (August 25).
Ukraine's General Staff said its forces had struck facilities at Afipsky, as well as a gas processing plant in the Astrakhan region overnight. The move is part of a campaign targeting Russian oil refineries and energy infrastructure, aiming to weaken Moscow's war effort and reduce its financial revenues.
Russia's Defense Ministry confirmed its air defense shot down 148 Ukrainian drones overnight. In addition, Russian forces claimed to have struck a cargo ship believed to be carrying supplies for the Ukrainian military at the Pivdennyi port near Odesa, along with port infrastructure used for unloading military cargo.
The attacks came after a meeting in Kyiv, where Ukraine's allies pledged continued support in the war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he wanted to "increase production" of drones and missiles to launch "more strikes" on Russia in response to Moscow's attacks.
The meeting was attended by 30 leaders in the "Coalition of the Willing," including British Prime Minister Andy Burnham – who called for negotiations with Russia, and French President Emmanuel Macron – participating online, who predicted "NATO countries will be targeted and provocative actions will increase." Finnish President Alexander Stubb also attended, urging allies to help Ukraine expand its ability to strike deep into Russian territory.
The Kremlin on Tuesday called Burnham and Stubb members of the "war party."
