Ukrainian forces struck a crucial fuel pipeline in the Moscow region that supplies the Russian army, Ukraine’s military intelligence announced Saturday. This operation took place amid Russia’s sustained campaign of massive drone and missile attacks targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.
According to a statement posted late Friday on the Telegram messaging channel by Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR), the strike dealt a “serious blow” to Russia’s military logistics. HUR said the operation targeted the Koltsevoy pipeline near the Ramensky district. This 250-mile pipeline transports gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel from refineries in Ryazan, Nizhny Novgorod, and Moscow directly to Russian military forces.
The strike destroyed all three fuel lines of the pipeline, which was capable of carrying up to 3 million tons of jet fuel, 2.8 million tons of diesel, and 1.6 million tons of gasoline annually. HUR’s head, Kyrylo Budanov, emphasized the impact, stating, “Our strikes have had more impact than sanctions,” referring to the international sanctions imposed on Russia following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
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### Moscow Strives to Capture Key Eastern City
Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed Saturday that its forces had defeated a team of Ukrainian special forces sent to the eastern frontline hotspot of Pokrovsk. The Ukrainian unit had reportedly attempted to halt Russian advances deeper into the city.
The Russian ministry later released videos showing two men it identified as Ukrainians who had surrendered in Pokrovsk. The footage depicts the men, one in fatigues and the other in a dark green jacket, sitting against a peeling wall in a dimly lit room as they describe fierce fighting and encirclement by Russian forces. The authenticity of these videos could not be independently verified. Kyiv has not yet commented publicly on these claims.
Conflicting accounts continue to emerge regarding the situation in Pokrovsk, a key Ukrainian stronghold in the Donetsk region. Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed Russian forces had encircled the city’s defenders. However, Ukraine’s army chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, stated on Saturday that while the situation remains “most difficult” for Ukrainian troops, there is no encirclement or blockade as Russia has claimed.
“A comprehensive operation to destroy and push out enemy forces from Pokrovsk is ongoing. The main burden lies on the shoulders of the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, particularly UAV operators and assault units,” Syrskyi wrote on Telegram.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also acknowledged Friday that some Russian troops had managed to infiltrate Pokrovsk but insisted Ukraine is actively working to remove them. He added that Russia had deployed around 170,000 troops in Donetsk in a major push to capture the city and claim a significant battlefield victory.
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### Putin’s Position and the Donbas Conflict
President Putin is attempting to convince the United States, which is urging him to seek a peace deal, that Ukraine cannot withstand Russia’s military superiority. He has also highlighted what he describes as Russia’s growing nuclear capabilities, maintaining a firm stance on Russia’s war objectives.
A primary goal for Moscow remains the capture of Ukraine’s industrial heartland in the Donbas region, comprising the eastern provinces of Luhansk and Donetsk. Kyiv currently controls about one-tenth of this coal-rich area.
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### Civilians Killed and Wounded in Russian Strikes
In other developments, a civilian was killed and 19 others injured, including a 9-year-old girl, when Russia struck Ukraine’s southern Mykolaiv region with an Iskander ballistic missile Saturday morning, according to local official Vitaliy Kim.
Another early morning Russian strike sparked a fire at a gas plant in the central Poltava region, Ukraine’s emergency service reported.
These attacks are part of Russia’s intensified drone and missile campaign against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, which caused widespread power outages and restrictions across the country earlier this week—a campaign Kyiv has labeled as “systematic energy terror.”
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### Air Defense Clashes Overnight
During the night leading into Saturday, Russia launched 223 drones at Ukraine, 206 of which were shot down by Ukrainian air defenses. Seventeen drones struck targets across seven Ukrainian regions, though no further details were provided.
Conversely, Russian forces claimed to have shot down or intercepted 98 Ukrainian drones over the country overnight, including six near Moscow, the Russian Defense Ministry announced Saturday.
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The ongoing conflict continues to see intense military and strategic maneuvers on both sides as Ukraine defends its territory against Russia’s advances.
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