Russia destroyed Ukraine's drones targeting oil refinery: Moscow

Russia said its air force has repelled a Ukrainian drone attack on an oil refinery in the southern border region of Bryansk.

Three Ukrainian drones targeted a pumping station on the Soviet-era Druzhba oil pipeline in the Bryansk region overnight, the region’s governor, Alexander Bogomaz, said on Saturday. 

Bogomaz added that Russian “air defense systems repelled” the attack. 

"Thanks to the professionalism of our military... three aerial drones were destroyed,” he said.

The southern branch of the Druzhba pipeline crosses Ukraine and, despite the conflict there, continues to supply crude oil to Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

Ukraine has in recent weeks increased drone attacks, targeting energy facilities inside Russia. Kiev, however, has not publicly acknowledged responsibility for the attacks.

Russian forces also downed nine drones over the Crimean peninsula on Thursday, said the region's Governor Sergei Aksyonov.

And last week, a drone hit a residential building in Russia's southern city of Voronezh and injured two people.

Ukraine's attacks gained momentum since President Volodymyr Zelensky said his military has begun the offensive against Russia. 

Putin says Ukraine acts like 'terrorist state', vows to counter Kiev’s plots

Russian President Vladimir Putin says Ukraine acts like a "terrorist state".

Russian President Vladimir Putin, however, said on Tuesday that Kiev was suffering massive losses in its offensive against his country.

"Their losses are approaching a level that could be described as catastrophic," Putin said.

Russia missile strike hits Ukraine’s ‘decision-making center’

In the meantime, Russian forces hit a command center of the Ukrainian military in a missile attack on Friday, Russia’s defense ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

Russian forces “carried out a group strike with sea and air-based long-range precision weapons against one of the decision-making centers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” the ministry said.

“The aim of the strike was achieved. The intended facility was hit,” it added, without providing further details.

The ministry has also published a short video of a missile being fired by a warship as part of what it said was the strike on a Ukrainian “decision-making center.”

Back in May, Russia had also reported strikes on “decision-making centers” in Ukraine. The attack was carried out shortly after a Ukrainian drone attack on Moscow, in which several residential buildings were damaged and two people suffered injuries.

The Russian defense ministry said back then that facilities in Ukraine “where terrorist attacks on Russian soil were being planned under the guidance of specialists from Western intelligence agencies” were hit.

President Putin said back then that Russian forces hit the headquarters of the Ukrainian military’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR).

Russia launched its special military operation against Ukraine last February as part of its efforts to defend the pro-Russian population in Donbas against persecution by the neo-Nazi Kiev regime.

Since the war began, the West has flooded Ukraine with weapons including tanks and missiles

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