🔗 Share this article

Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles have targeted Russia's Bashneft processing plant in the city of Ufa, situated some 1,400 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, causing explosions and a fire, according to a insider in the Ukrainian SBU.

This represents the latest intelligence long-range attack in Bashkortostan in the last month. Such operations show that there are no safe places in the distant backlines of the Russian Federation.

Ukrainian President Appeals to Trump to Mediate Truce in the Conflict

President Zelenskyy appealed to Donald Trump to mediate a ceasefire in the Ukrainian conflict in a phone call on Saturday.

"When a war can be ended in one region, then surely additional conflicts can be ended as well, including the Russian war," the President stated, praising Trump's "remarkable" Middle East ceasefire plan and calling for the US president to pressure the Russian government into negotiations.

Russian Strikes Claim Casualties in Ukraine

Russian attacks on Ukrainian territory claimed the lives of several civilians on Saturday and caused blackouts to parts of the south Odesa region, as stated by authorities in Ukraine.

Two civilians lost their lives in a religious building in the town when it was struck, according to local authorities.

In Russia's frontier area of Belgorod, a truck driver was fatally wounded by a attack from Ukraine, according to municipal sources.

Power Restoration Efforts in the Capital

Efforts proceeded on the weekend to recover electricity in the Ukrainian capital, after assaults.

Power had been recovered to over 800,000 residents by the weekend and the largest utility provider said the main efforts to recover electricity was complete though certain disruptions persisted.

Anti-Aircraft Operations and Drone Downings

The Ukrainian anti-aircraft systems downed or disrupted 54 of 78 total UAVs from Russia launched towards the country during the night, the air force reported on Saturday.

Russia's military authorities stated it eliminated forty-two UAVs from Ukraine over Russian territory.

Cuban Government Rejects Allegations of Providing Troops to Ukraine

The Cuban government on Saturday rejected American assertions it has deployed soldiers to fight in the conflict in Ukraine, while affirming the government "are without accurate data about Cuban nationals" engaged "voluntarily" or "within the troops of either party".

The ministry in Havana said 26 Cubans had been given prison terms to jail sentences varying between five up to fourteen years for participating as mercenaries since September 2023 when news spread of individuals being dispatched to the frontlines in the conflict.

I Want to Live Initiative Discloses Information on Cuban Recruitment

The surrender initiative, a Ukrainian government initiative that promotes opposing fighters to surrender, said in May: "We reliably know the names and personal details of 1,028 individuals who enlisted with the Moscow's troops in recently."

The government in Havana commented of Cuban nationals who might be participating: "Undeniably that none of them possesses the support, commitment, or consent of the government in Havana for their involvement."

Kin of Cubans who traveled to Russia in 2023 informed Agence France-Presse at the time that their relatives had been misled into enlisting through advertisements on social media.