An oil refinery in Ryazan in Russia burns after a Ukrainian drone strike, September 5, 2025

Friday’s Coverage: Officials — US Provision of Tomahawk Missiles to Kyiv Unlikely

UPDATE 0704 GMT:

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, has called for “political will” from Moscow and Kyiv to restore power to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in southern Ukraine.

The plant, Europe’s largest with six reactors, was cut off on September 23 when Russian shelling damaged power lines. Backup diesel generators are ensuring the cooling and safety of the complex.

Grossi said in a statement:

Both sides say they stand ready to conduct the necessary repairs on their respective sides of the front line.

But for this to happen, the security situation on the ground must improve so that the technicians can carry out their vital work without endangering their lives.

It is a question of political will, not whether it is technically possible, which it is.

UPDATE 0650 GMT:

A Ukrainian woman in Russia, arrested when she was trying to attend her brother’s funeral, has been sentenced to 12 years for sending money to help Ukraine’s soldiers.

Tetiana Omelchenko, 49, was charged with treason.

Omelchenko was seized at Sheremetyevo Airport in Moscow in September 2024. She was condemned on October 1.

A single mother of a son, Omelchenko said that she viewed the transfers to the Ukrainian Armed Forces as “charitable”, among other other donations since 2020 after her husband’s terminal illness.

UPDATE 0607 GMT:

French photojournalist Antoni Lallican was killed by a Russian drone attack in eastern Ukraine on Friday.

Lallican, 37, was embedded with Ukraine’s 4th Armored Brigade near the frontline. He was slain near the town of Druzhkivka.

Ukrainian journalist Georgiy Ivanchenko was seriously wounded in the same attack, undergoing surgery.

The Brigade posted, “Both journalists were wearing personal protective equipment, and their bulletproof vests had identification marks with the word PRESS on them.”

The head of the Ukrainian Union of Journalists, Serhii Tomilenko, commented:

By targeting journalists, the Russian army is deliberately hunting those trying to document war crimes. For journalists, every trip to the frontline zone is a deadly risk. Antoni Lallican took this risk again and again, coming to Ukraine, travelling to Donbas, documenting what many prefer not to see.

The European and International Federations of Journalists condemned the “war crime”.

See also Reporting Inhumanity and Humanity From Bosnia to Ukraine: The Story of Arman Soldin

French President Emmanuel Macron, expressed “deep sadness”. Ukraine Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha summarized:

Russia continues to deliberately target journalists, which is a heinous crime and violation of international humanitarian law. We will make every effort to hold the perpetrators accountable.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Volodymyr Zelensky has highlighted gasoline shortages across Russia, partly because of Ukraine’s strikes on oil refineries.

In his nightly address to the nation, Zelensky said:

Russia now imports gasoline from across the map: from Asia — China and others — and from Europe, Belarus in particular.

This is one of the consequences of Putin’s war: the gas-station country isn’t selling fuel. It’s buying it.

Ukrainian strikes have hit 16 of 38 refineries across Russia, some of them on multiple occasions. A leading Russian outlet on energy matters reported earlier this week that the country’s oil output is down 38%.

Rationing has been introduced in the Russian Far East and in Russian-occupied Crimea. Vladimir Putin has acknowledged the shortages, without mentioning Ukraine’s attacks.

Overnight, Ukrainian drones struck an oil refinery in Kirishi in the Leningrad region, sparking a large explosion and fire that was later extinguished.

Kirishi is more than 800 km (500 miles) from Ukraine’s border. Opened in 2017, the refinery refines 6.6% of Russia’s oil.

Zelensky also spoke last night about Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. He noted that of 35 missiles fired by Moscow on Friday, only half were shot down.

Missiles hit gas facilities in the Chernihiv, Sumy, Donetsk, Kharkiv, and Poltava regions.

The CEO of Ukraine’s State gas company Naftogaz, Sergii Koretskyi, said the strikes — which also included more than 60 drones — were the largest on its infrastructure since 2022.