Ukraine carried out drone strikes yesterday targeting oil refineries in southern Russia and the port of Taganrog on the Sea of Azov, where authorities declared a state of emergency and evacuated some residents, according to Russian officials.
Russia's Ministry of Defence said its forces shot down more than 370 Ukrainian drones, a large number of them over the Moscow region.
At the port of Taganrog, close to Ukrainian territory controlled by Russia, video footage circulated on social media showed columns of smoke rising above the city.
Yuri Slyusar, governor of the Rostov region in southern Russia, said he had visited the port following large-scale overnight attacks, adding: "Firefighting operations at the seaport are still ongoing."
He noted that dozens of residents had been transferred to temporary shelter centres, explaining: "I told them frankly: unfortunately, it will not be possible to extinguish this type of fire quickly."
In the Krasnodar region, local authorities said a fire broke out at the Ilsky oil refinery after drone debris fell on the site, adding that no injuries or fatalities had been recorded.
On a related front, Ukraine's army commander said the territory seized by Russian armed forces during the first half of 2026 amounts to half of what they captured in the previous year, despite sustaining extremely high casualties and material losses.
Ukraine's Chief of Staff Oleksandr Syrskyi said today on his Telegram channel that Russia had planned a large-scale offensive but had in practice achieved none of its defined objectives. Military analysts have confirmed that Russian forces have been making slow progress this year.
According to Syrskyi, Ukrainians have recently managed to recapture roughly the same amount of territory as they have lost elsewhere.
The Ukrainian army commander warned that Moscow continues its military operations in eastern Ukraine.
Syrskyi said the pace of missile and drone strikes is increasing, as is the use of guided aerial bombs and the commission of further crimes against civilians, stressing that Russia's strength must not be underestimated.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that his country and the United States have reached a political-level agreement on licences to produce Patriot interceptor missiles, adding that key supplies related to these missiles are expected to arrive within the next few days.
Zelensky told journalists that discussions are continuing with the United States regarding a drone deal or joint production of such aircraft.
Regarding Patriot missile production, he said: "We have resolved this matter politically. It is now extremely important that our technical teams, all our representatives from the various ministries, and representatives of the executive authority begin work on this without delay, so that we can obtain the licences very quickly and begin production in Ukraine as soon as possible."
The European Union is set to allow Ukraine to purchase British weapons using the €60 billion it will lend to the war-torn country for defence procurement.
Informed sources said the bloc is close to finalising a deal with the British government to allow UK companies to benefit from the programme after months of negotiations, according to Bloomberg News Agency.
Those sources added that an announcement is likely by next Monday at the latest, at a meeting to be held in Paris on Monday of the "Coalition of the Willing" led by France and Britain in support of Ukraine.
European Commission spokeswoman Paula Pinho told journalists that Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will travel to the French capital on Monday to attend the meeting on Ukraine.