Russia Advances in Zaporizhia as Ukraine Strikes Key Oil Sites and Secures Winter LNG Supplies:

Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine intensified over the weekend, with Moscow claiming significant territorial gains in the southeastern Zaporizhia region, while Kyiv launched fresh strikes on vital Russian energy infrastructure. As both sides escalate attacks across multiple fronts, civilians continue to bear the brunt of the violence, and international concerns over wartime energy cooperation have resurfaced. According to Russian officials, their forces have “moved forward sharply” in the Zaporizhia region, capturing the settlements of Rivnopillya and Mala Tokmachka. Moscow now claims control of 75 percent of the region, presenting the advance as part of a broader offensive aimed at seizing full control of the area. Zaporizhia has long been a strategic flashpoint, serving as a major battleground in southern Ukraine as Russian troops attempt to establish deeper territorial consolidation. On the other side of the conflict, Ukraine launched a significant strike on the Novokuibyshevsk oil refinery in Russia’s Samara region. Kyiv’s General Staff reported explosions and a fire at the facility, though officials said they were still assessing the full extent of the damage. The refinery attack represents another step in Ukraine’s strategy of targeting Russian energy assets used to support the war. Continuous exchanges of drone and missile attacks marked the weekend. Ukrainian officials reported that at least four civilians were killed and 17 injured in a new wave of Russian strikes across Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russia’s TASS news agency stated that two civilians were wounded in the Belgorod region by Ukrainian fire. TASS further claimed that Russian air defenses intercepted more than 50 Ukrainian drones on Sunday evening, along with two Neptune guided missiles, four HIMARS rockets, and nearly 200 drones earlier in the day. In another blow to Russian infrastructure, the Novorossiysk port—a crucial hub for Black Sea oil exports—resumed tanker loadings after a two-day shutdown triggered by a Ukrainian missile and drone attack. Reuters described the strike as the most damaging Ukrainian attack so far on Russia’s primary crude export facilities in the region. As winter approaches, Ukraine is working to secure crucial energy reserves. During President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Athens, officials confirmed that Ukraine has arranged imports of US liquefied natural gas (LNG) via Greece, ensuring adequate supplies from December through March. Amid the growing pressure of Western sanctions, Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly held discussions with Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin last week, signaling possible internal concerns about the financial impact on Russia’s energy sector. Adding to the controversy, Greenpeace revealed that France has been sending reprocessed uranium to Russia for treatment and reuse, despite the ongoing war. While the exchange is legal under existing regulations, Greenpeace condemned the practice as “immoral,” arguing that continued nuclear cooperation undermines efforts to strengthen sanctions against Moscow.

NEWS