An explosion at the Novo-Ufa oil refinery in the Bashkortostan Republic, Russia, September 13, 2025

Saturday’s Coverage: 40+ Countries Denounce Russia Drone Incursion Into Poland

UPDATE 0630 GMT:

Four days after the incursion by 21 Russian drones into Polish airspace, another UAV has overflown Romania near the the Ukrainian-Polish border.

Romania’s Defense Ministry said the breach came during a Russian attack on infrastructure in neighboring Ukraine. Bucharest scrambled two F-16 fighter jets late Saturday to monitor the situation.

The aircraft of Poland and NATO allies were deployed in a “preventive” operation. The airport in the eastern Polish city of Lublin was closed, with the alert lasting around two hours.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky commented:

The Russian military knows exactly where their drones are headed and how long they can operate in the air. Their routes are always calculated. This cannot be a coincidence, a mistake, or the initiative of some lower-level commanders. It is an obvious expansion of the war by Russia – and this is exactly how they act. Small steps at first, and eventually big losses….

Sanctions against Russia are needed. Tariffs against Russian trade are needed. Collective defense is needed….Do not wait for dozens of “shaheds” and ballistic missiles before finally making decisions.

Following Donald Trump’s statement that the Russian drone incursion into Poland might have been a “mistake”, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio took a cautious line on Saturday.

Rubio pushed back on Trump’s comments, “The drones were intentionally launched. There’s no doubt about that” in “an unacceptable, unfortunate and dangerous development”. However, he added:

The question is whether the drones were targeted to go into Poland specifically. If that’s the case, if the evidence leads us there, then obviously that would be a highly escalatory move. There are a number of other possibilities as well, but I think we’d like to have all the facts and consult with our allies before we make specific determinations.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Ukrainian drones have struck more oil refineries inside Russia, as Moscow struggles with gasoline supplies across the country.

The UAVs attacked the Kirishi oil refinery, one of Russia’s largest, in the Leningrad region overnight.

Leningrad Governor Alexander Drozdenko claimed three drones were intercepted, but acknowledged that a fire had been ignited. He said there were no casulaties.

Video and photos from residents showed a large blast and flames rising from the refinery.

The complex has a processing capacity of more than 17 million tons of oil per year.

On Saturday afternoon, Ukraine struck the Bashneft-Novoyl refinery located in Ufa, the capital of the Bashkortostan Republic, around 1,500 km (930 miles) from the border.

Preliminary assessments indicate critical infrastructure, including a vacuum column used for primary oil processing, sustained significant damage.

Ufa airport suspended operations. Mobile internet services across the city were temporarily cut off.

Ukrainian attacks cut Russia’s oil output by 17% in August. Amid gasoline shortages, rationing has been introduced in the Far East and in Russian-occupied Crimea. Customers report queuing for hours elsewhere.

Earlier this month Vladimir Putin acknowledged the shortages without referring to the drone strikes.

The Metafrax Chemicals plant in the Perm Krai, more than 1,800 km (1,118 miles) from the border, was also attacked on Saturday night.

Governor Dmitry Makhonin reported that a Ukrainian drone had struck an industrial enterprise without giving details about its identity.

In 2023, Metafrax launched a new production facility that reportedly produced 300,000 tons of ammonia in its first eight months. The company has been sanctioned by the UK and Ukraine.

Zelensky: “We Must Reduce Consumption of Russian Oil”

In his nightly address to the nation, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky focused on sanctions as “it is necessary to reduce the consumption of Russian oil [because] this will definitely reduce Russia’s ability to fight”.

Zelensky refers to Donald Trump’s statement that he will toughen the sanctions if the European Union moves first to impose tariffs on Russia’s top two customers for oil, Russia and China.

We can hear the position of the US, and this position should be heard by all who still choose supplies from Russia rather than from other partners.

urge all partners to stop looking for excuses not to impose sanctions—Europe, the US, the G7, the G20.