Seven people were killed and at least 24 others injured in a Ukrainian drone attack on a logistics center in Russia’s western Tambov region, according to Governor Yevgeny Pervyshov on Saturday. The strike targeted a Wildberries logistics facility located in the city of Kotovsk during the night shift, resulting in casualties among workers on duty.

Rescue operations and damage assessments were underway following the attack, the governor said. Ukraine has not issued any immediate comment regarding the incident. The report was carried by AFP and published by Amader Desh Online on July 18, 2026.

The attack comes amid a surge in drone strikes across border and interior regions of both Russia and Ukraine, reflecting an escalation in the ongoing conflict between the two countries.

China is quietly broadening its political and institutional connections inside Russia beyond President Vladimir Putin and his close circle, according to a Wall Street Journal report cited by Amar Desh. Beijing is engaging with Russian officials and power brokers who could shape Moscow’s future after Putin leaves office. While expanding its influence, China is avoiding any overt actions that could appear to undermine the Russian leader.

Chinese officials increasingly view Russia as a long-term strategic partner, anticipating possible political changes in Moscow. The report notes that Russia has become more economically dependent on China since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the breakdown of relations with the West. China now accounts for about 40 percent of Russia’s foreign trade, up from roughly 10 percent in 2013, while Russia represents less than 4 percent of China’s global trade.

The report adds that China has gained leverage in Central Asia and in negotiations over the proposed Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline, which remains stalled due to disagreements over pricing. Analysts suggest Beijing sees an opportunity to make Russia increasingly reliant on China’s economic and political model.

Ukraine launched an attack on a major oil terminal in St. Petersburg, which President Volodymyr Zelensky described as part of Russia’s war-financing infrastructure. Ukrainian forces also claimed to have targeted a key naval base in Kronstadt. St. Petersburg Governor Aleksandr Beglov confirmed the terminal was hit but reported no casualties. The BBC verified the strike, while Kyiv said the facility’s annual capacity was 12.5 million tons.

Ukraine asserted that about 43 percent of Russia’s refining capacity has been disabled by recent long-range drone attacks, though this could not be independently verified. Moscow acknowledged energy shortages, and President Vladimir Putin signed a law to boost domestic fuel supply. Russia’s defense ministry said it intercepted over 500 drones and missiles overnight, calling Ukraine’s strikes an attempt to divert attention from battlefield setbacks.

Both sides are intensifying operations ahead of next week’s NATO summit in Turkey. Russia has warned of retaliation, while Putin sent a message to U.S. President Donald Trump urging constructive relations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia and the United States, as the world’s two largest nuclear powers, bear a special responsibility for ensuring global security and stability. The statement was reported by Turkey-based Anadolu Agency on Saturday. According to information released by the Kremlin, Putin made the remarks in a congratulatory message to U.S. President Donald Trump on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of American independence.

In his message, Putin said that the signing of the Declaration of Independence marked not only the birth of the United States but also a significant milestone in world history. He recalled that Russia had unconditionally supported the North American colonies in their struggle against British rule and noted that Moscow and Washington had been allies during both World Wars.

Putin expressed hope that constructive, equal, and mutually beneficial relations between Moscow and Washington would serve the interests of both nations and the broader international community.

Russian officials said on Saturday night that Ukraine carried out a drone attack on an oil terminal at the port of St. Petersburg. Governor Alexander Beglov reported that the city faced a large-scale drone assault, with air defenses shooting down 72 drones. One drone reportedly crashed in the Peterhof area. The attack damaged an oil terminal in the Kirovsky district, but authorities later brought the situation under control, and no casualties were reported.

Local Telegram channels had earlier shared reports of a fire at the port’s oil terminal. Russia’s Defense Ministry separately claimed that its forces destroyed or downed a total of 389 Ukrainian drones across several regions, including Crimea, as well as over the Azov and Black Seas. Ukraine has not commented on the incident, and the Russian claims could not be independently verified.

The incident highlights the continuing escalation of drone warfare between Russia and Ukraine, with both sides reporting frequent aerial attacks on infrastructure and military targets.

Russia has started importing petrol from India by sea to ease a worsening fuel shortage triggered by ongoing Ukrainian attacks on its energy infrastructure. Two industry sources confirmed the move on Wednesday, noting that at least 60,000 metric tons of petrol have already been shipped in two tankers carrying 30,000 to 40,000 tons each. Fuel rationing, long queues, and record-high prices have been reported across Russia’s 11 time zones.

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Russia is in talks with several countries to secure fuel imports at acceptable prices, though neither the Russian Energy Ministry nor India’s Oil Ministry commented. A third source indicated Russia plans to import about 400,000 tons of petrol monthly from multiple countries, including Belarus, which has already increased its rail shipments. President Vladimir Putin acknowledged that Ukrainian drone strikes on refineries have caused regional shortages but insisted the situation is under control.

Russia’s parliament recently approved tax amendments to subsidize fuel imports in line with Indian supply costs. Meanwhile, data from LSEG and Kpler showed India’s crude oil imports from Russia hit record highs in June.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said Russia’s air defense forces shot down dozens of Ukrainian drones heading toward the capital overnight. He stated that six enemy drones were destroyed by the Defense Ministry’s air defense units, bringing the total number of downed drones to 46. Emergency services were deployed to areas where drone debris fell.

Sobyanin noted that Ukraine has intensified long-range drone attacks on Russia in recent months, particularly targeting energy infrastructure, which serves as a key revenue source for the Kremlin. The conflict has now entered its fifth year, according to AFP reports from Moscow.

Earlier, Russia claimed to have downed 660 Ukrainian drones between Thursday and Friday, marking one of the largest such incidents since the war began. Last week, a Ukrainian strike caused a fire at an oil refinery in southeastern Moscow.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that continued Ukrainian attacks have caused some fuel shortages in Russia, though he described the situation as not yet serious. In an interview released by the Kremlin on Sunday, Putin explained that after four years of war, Ukrainian strikes have affected Russia’s energy infrastructure.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian forces have regularly targeted Ukrainian cities, civilians, and energy facilities. In response, Ukraine has launched counterattacks on oil refineries and other military sites inside Russia. Putin stated that Russia’s main task now is to strengthen its air defense systems, particularly to secure energy supplies to Crimea.

Authorities in Russian-occupied Crimea declared a state of emergency on Friday due to fuel shortages and power outages, blaming Ukrainian attacks on logistics chains and oil installations. Putin also expressed hope that once the Middle East situation stabilizes, a U.S. delegation might visit Moscow to discuss ending the war.

At least five people, including two children, were killed in overnight Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia and the Russian-controlled Crimean Peninsula, according to local officials on June 25, 2026. The strikes also caused a fire at a large oil storage facility in southern Russia. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its forces shot down 269 Ukrainian drones over Russia and Crimea during the night.

Crimean leader Sergei Aksyonov reported two deaths, including a child, and two injuries in Crimea. In Russia’s Bryansk region, a 23-year-old driver and a 15-year-old girl were killed, while another person died in Belgorod. Officials in Krasnodar Krai said debris from a downed drone ignited a blaze at the Poltavskaya oil depot. Ukraine’s military stated that its operations targeted Russian military and energy infrastructure to reduce Moscow’s wartime fuel revenue.

Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 90 drones and one Iskander missile overnight, of which 83 drones were intercepted. The Ukrainian railway authority reported one worker killed in a Russian strike on a train in Zaporizhzhia. The report noted that Ukraine has intensified drone attacks inside Russia in recent months as retaliation for frequent Russian strikes.

Russia’s Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev has expressed skepticism about the stability of the recent agreement between the United States and Iran. In a post on the Russian social media platform Max, he warned that the deal could easily collapse due to new provocations or attacks, particularly in Lebanon. Medvedev said it would be premature to expect lasting peace under the current circumstances.

The statement comes as Russia and Iran have deepened their military and economic cooperation since the start of the Ukraine war. However, Moscow’s limited response to the recent US-Israel-Iran conflict—restricted mainly to diplomatic and verbal support—has highlighted the boundaries of their partnership.

Medvedev’s remarks suggest that Moscow views the US-Iran understanding as fragile and vulnerable to regional instability, underscoring Russia’s cautious stance in Middle Eastern affairs.

Russia has warned that any attack by a NATO member state on its territory would trigger a 'decisive and destructive' response. The warning was issued by Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova during a press briefing, according to a report by the state news agency TASS published on Thursday. Zakharova emphasized that no Western military leadership or force would be able to stop Russia’s reaction if such aggression occurred.

She further cautioned that Western leaders should understand the consequences of their statements and actions, suggesting that they were pushing Europe toward a dangerous direction. The remarks came after Ukraine launched what was described as the largest drone attack on Moscow from Wednesday night to Thursday morning, damaging a key oil refinery and causing fires and debris across the region.

Following the drone strikes, all major airports in Moscow temporarily suspended flight operations as a precautionary measure, according to the report.

Ukraine carried out what officials described as its largest drone attack in years on Moscow early Thursday, igniting fires across the capital and prompting evacuations at Sheremetyevo, Russia’s busiest airport. The assault occurred just hours before President Vladimir Putin was set to host Southeast Asian leaders in Kazan, about 700 kilometers from Moscow. Unverified videos on social media showed thick black smoke rising over the city, and reports indicated drones struck a refinery and residential areas.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defenses intercepted a large number of drones, though some reached the Moscow Oil Refinery. Russian media reported fires at the site, while regional authorities confirmed additional damage in the Zhukovsky district and near a shopping center. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed to have intercepted over 500 drones overnight, calling it the most extensive attack on Moscow in at least two years.

The strike comes amid stalled diplomatic efforts to end the four-year war and as Kyiv intensifies attacks inside Russia, particularly targeting facilities funding Moscow’s war effort.

A Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bomber crashed near the village of Kamenka in the Irkutsk region of Siberia, according to local and defense officials. Preliminary reports suggest the crash was caused by an engine malfunction. The aircraft went down in a forested area near the Angara River, and videos circulating on social media showed smoke rising from the crash site, though their authenticity could not be independently verified.

The Russian Defense Ministry stated that the crew ejected before the crash and that there were no threats to their lives or health. The ministry also confirmed that the bomber was not carrying any weapons and that no damage occurred on the ground. Irkutsk Governor Igor Kobzev said all four crew members were hospitalized but did not suffer life-threatening injuries.

The Tu-22M3 is a modernized version of the earlier Tu-22 bomber and is capable of carrying KH-22 cruise missiles and hypersonic Kinzhal missiles. The aircraft type has previously been used by Russia in operations in Syria and Ukraine.

A Ukrainian drone attack struck the Russian city of Tula, located about 200 kilometers south of Moscow, killing three people and injuring three others, including a one-year-old child. The incident occurred overnight, according to regional governor Dmitry Milyaev, who shared the information on Telegram on Monday. The report was confirmed by AFP citing local authorities.

Governor Milyaev stated that the drone hit a residential area in Tula, causing casualties among civilians. The attack marks another instance of cross-border strikes amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The identities of the victims and the extent of the damage were not immediately disclosed.

Authorities have not provided further details about the response or potential retaliatory measures following the strike.

In May 2026, Russian security forces detained at least eight Muslim clerics and community representatives across several regions, including Karelia, Mordovia, and St. Petersburg. Among those arrested were former mufti Wisam Bardwil and deputy mufti Al-Kheikh Nidal Awadullah Ahmed. The arrests were made on charges ranging from bribery to disobedience, while some media outlets alleged links to the banned Muslim Brotherhood. State-aligned commentators and far-right groups welcomed the crackdown, portraying it as a move against extremism.

The arrests coincided with growing controversy over a proposed law restricting group prayers in residential buildings, which Muslim leaders said violated constitutional rights. Ravil Gainutdin, head of the Spiritual Board of Muslims of Russia (DUM), publicly rejected claims that his organization was linked to extremism but avoided direct mention of the detentions. Independent and exiled media suggested the crackdown reflected rising Islamophobia and tightening state control over religious institutions.

Analysts noted that the developments highlight the Kremlin’s complex relationship with Russia’s large Muslim population, where loyalty to state policy has long been a condition for religious tolerance.