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Ahmad al-Sharaa  ·  2026-07-12 00:00

Russia and Ukraine exchange strikes on ports, energy facilities as war intensifies

Moscow/Kyiv, July 12 (SANA)Russia and Ukraine launched fresh waves of drone and missile attacks overnight, targeting ports, energy infrastructure and military-related facilities, as both sides stepped up long-range strikes in the latest escalation of the war.

Ukraine said it had struck Russian vessels and an oil refinery, while Russia reported attacks on port infrastructure in the Ukrainian cities ofOdesaand Chornomorsk and said its air defenses had intercepted hundreds of Ukrainian drones.

Ukraine’s drone forces commander, Robert Brovdi, told Reuters that Ukrainian forces targeted 14 Russian vessels on Sunday, including 10 tankers and four ferries.

In a statement posted on Telegram, Brovdi said a total of 90 Russian vessels had come under attack during the past week, although the claims could not be independently verified.

Ukraine’s military also said it had carried out an overnight strike on an oil refinery in Russia’s Samara region.

Ukrainian officials have said Kyiv has intensified attacks onRussian oil refineriesand energy infrastructure in recent months in an effort to reduce Moscow’s revenue from petroleum exports.

On the Russian side, the Defense Ministry said it had launched coordinated strikes using precision-guided weapons and attack drones against port infrastructure in Odesa and Chornomorsk.

The ministry said the targeted facilities were being used to unload and store military cargo, fuel and lubricants. It added that the strikes also hit several vessels, a ferry transporting military supplies and a patrol boat.

According to the ministry, the attack in Odesa struck military cargo storage facilities, including a logistics center operated by Odtrans, while strikes in Chornomorsk targeted transshipment facilities and fuel storage infrastructure.

In a separate statement, Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses had destroyed 349 Ukrainian drones overnight across multiple regions, including Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Rostov, Samara and the Moscow region, as well as overCrimea, the Sea of Azov andthe Black Sea.

The latest exchange highlights the growing reliance by both Russia and Ukraine on drones and long-range missiles, with both sides increasingly targeting energy infrastructure, ports and other strategic facilities deep behind the front lines.