Posted by Ukrainian attack hit Russian facility producing long-range drones, says Kyiv
We have more details to bring you on the Ukrainian drone attack which targeted a Russian region more than 1,000 km from Ukraine this morning, Ukraine’s deepest attack yet.
A Kyiv intelligence source said the attack on Tatarstan hit a facility where Russia produces Shahed drones, which are frequently used in assaults on Ukrainian territory. This comes after Ukraine’s military spy agency said “significant damage” had been caused to a military target.
Reuters analysis of photographs posted online suggests that one of the drones also hit a unit at Tatarstan’s Taneco oil refinery which accounts for roughly half of its annual production capacity.
Key events
‘We are doing everything to minimise the impact,’ Kremlin responds to Ukraine’s deepest drone attacks so far
The Kremlin on Tuesday said that it was working to minimise the impact of Ukrainian drone strikes, after Kyiv said it hit an oil refinery and a drone factory overnight in Russia’s Tatarstan region, about 1,300 km (800 miles) from Ukrainian-held territory.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov also said that that they are working on removing the taliban from their terrorist list, as “they are the de-facto authority” in Afghanistan.
Peskov also weighed in on the suspected Israeli airstrike against the Iranian consulate in Damascus, calling it an act of aggression. He said such attacks violated all the foundations of international law.
Ukrainian Intelligence says attacks will continue, to reduce Russia’s oil revenue
Ukraine struck the primary oil refining unit of a major Russian oil refinery in Tatarstan region on Tuesday in an attack conducted by the SBU Security Service and GUR military spy agency, a Ukrainian intelligence source told Reuters.
The strike caused a fire at the facility, the source said, adding that such attacks would continue in order to reduce Russia’s oil revenue.
Tatarstan officials said earlier on Tuesday that the attack didn’t disrupt industrial production, while Nizhnekamsk’s mayor said the attempt to strike a refinery was thwarted by air defenses. The Guardian could not independently verify these reports.
Russian MP says drone attacks will stop ‘when Kyiv is taken’
A senior Russian politician has said drone attacks on Russia will only stop when Kyiv is taken.
Andrei Kartapolov, the head of the defence committee of the State Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, made the comments to Russian media.
A translation of Mr Kartapolov’s remarks suggests he accused Ukraine of carrying out “despicable terrorist” attacks, calling it a “vile enemy” which is striking Russia “on the sly”.
US secretary of state Antony Blinken is expected to hold talks in Paris on Tuesday.
Blinken is scheduled to visit, with Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu, a weapons’ factory providing howitzer canons to Ukraine, before meeting with French Foreign minister Stephane Sejourne and President Emannuel Macron.
Reuters reports that Macron has in recent weeks adopted a more hawkish stance towards Russia, amid fears that Ukraine is losing ground and support in the war, notably as the United States struggles to approve a multi-billion dollar military aid package for Kyiv.
But, while Ukraine will be high on the agenda, events in the Middle East are likely to take centre stage after the seven members of the World Central Kitchen were killed, in what the NGO called an Israeli military strike in Gaza.
For up-to-date developments on the crisis in the Middle East, follow our live blog.
Ukrainian attack hit Russian facility producing long-range drones, says Kyiv
We have more details to bring you on the Ukrainian drone attack which targeted a Russian region more than 1,000 km from Ukraine this morning, Ukraine’s deepest attack yet.
A Kyiv intelligence source said the attack on Tatarstan hit a facility where Russia produces Shahed drones, which are frequently used in assaults on Ukrainian territory. This comes after Ukraine’s military spy agency said “significant damage” had been caused to a military target.
Reuters analysis of photographs posted online suggests that one of the drones also hit a unit at Tatarstan’s Taneco oil refinery which accounts for roughly half of its annual production capacity.
Belarus holds military drills near Ukraine border
Belarus has kicked off military exercises on Tuesday in regions bordering Ukraine and European Union members Lithuania and Poland, the Belarusian defence ministry said.
The three-day drills in the Gomel and Grodno regions aim to train officers and territorial defence troops how to defend their respective regions and how to act in case martial law is enacted, the ministry said on the Telegram messaging app.
Belarus is Russia’s closest ally and was used as a launchpad for the invasion of Ukraine.
Ministers and officials from dozens of countries are gathering in the Netherlands on Tuesday for a conference on restoring justice in Ukraine, as the war reaches its third year.
The Dutch government said in a statement, “The Netherlands believes it is of vital importance that truth and justice be achieved both for Ukraine and for all victims of Russia’s aggression.”
Among speakers will be the chief prosecutor of the international criminal court, which has issued arrest warrants for President Vladimir Putin and military officials linked to the war.
During the conference, a register of damage caused by Russia’s invasion will formally open a process that will allow people to submit claims for compensation for damages, loss or injury suffered as a result of the invasion.
Drones strike Russian factories more than 1,000km from Ukraine
Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The time in Kyiv and Moscow is coming up to 11am. Russia has reported drone attacks over 1,000 km from Ukraine, according to Agence France-Presse.
On Tuesday, Russia said factories in Tatarstan, more than 1,100 kilometres (690 miles) from Ukraine, had been attacked with people wounded in the strikes.
“Drone attacks took place against factories in Tatarstan at Yelabuga and Nizhnekamsk,” Tatar leader Rustam Minnikhanov’s press service said on Telegram.
The attacks “did not cause serious damage and the working of the factories was not affected,” the statement said, adding: “Unfortunately in Yelabuga, there were people wounded”.
There is a special economic zone near Yelabuga that houses chemical and mechanical engineering and metal treatment factories. Nizhnekamsk has a large petrol refinery. Ukrainian intelligence source told Reuters that its military carried out the attacks.
Meanwhile Russian drones targeted energy facilities in overnight raids on Ukraine‘s Dnipropetrovsk and Kirovohrad regions, hitting a target in the latter, Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday.
Separately, Ukraine‘s general staff said air defences had downed nine out of 10 drones that attacked the country overnight.