The Ukrainian military said it had hit a Russian oil refinery and a microchip factory in a major drone attack that set off fires at the refinery's production facilities and a gas station.
Russia said its forces had repelled a drone attack overnight, but four industry sources confirmed to Reuters that one of Russia's oldest refineries had been hit in the city of Ryazan southeast of Moscow.
The attack destroyed oil storage tanks at the refinery and damaged equipment including a rail loading rack and a hydrotreating unit used to remove impurities from refined products, Reuters points out.
The overnight drone attack appeared to be one of the largest of the war in Kiev. Russia's Defense Ministry said 20 Ukrainian drones had targeted the Ryazan region in an attack that involved a total of 121 drones and targeted 13 regions, including Moscow.
The Ukrainian military said it had also struck the microelectronics factory in Russia's Bryansk region, which Kiev said produced components for Russian air defense missile systems, nuclear-capable missiles and onboard electronics for fighter jets.
If confirmed, Friday's attacks underscore Ukraine's ability to strike targets deep inside Russia as both sides try to strengthen their positions before beginning any peace talks after Donald Trump returns to the White House.
The US president has said he aims to quickly end the nearly three-year war in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was open to discussions with Trump about the war in Ukraine, but that the issue of negotiations with Ukraine was complicated by the fact that its president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, had signed a decree preventing him from holding talks with Putin.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he saw no objective signs that Ukraine or the West were ready for peace talks.
"On the contrary, Western military supplies to the Ukrainian armed forces are continuing, ultimatums to Russia are being prepared, there is a (Ukrainian) legal ban on negotiations, and the issue of the legitimacy of the Ukrainian authorities is not being resolved," Lavrov said in comments published on Friday.
Meanwhile, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Friday that air defenses had intercepted attacks by Ukrainian drones at four locations around the Russian capital. There was no information about major damage or casualties. (A2 Televizion)
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