Smoke rises from the oil refinery in Syzran in Russia’s Samara region following a Ukrainian drone strike, May 21, 2026

EA-Ukraine VideoCast: Kyiv’s Drone Strikes Rock Moscow

Wednesday’s Coverage: Zelensky Hails “Frontline Changes” in Kyiv’s Favor

UPDATE 1454 GMT:

At least five civilians have been murdered and 41 injured by Russian attacks across Ukraine over the past day.

The Russian targeted the agricultural sector, including farm workers in the Chernihiv region in northern Ukraine. A Geran long-range drone killed one agricultural worker and injured two in a strike on a farm bus in the Semenivka community.

Another drone strike late Wednesday sparked a fire at a warehouse belonging to an agricultural enterprise, and a drone attack on Monday morning injured a 33-year-old man operating a tractor in a field.

One person was killed and 11 injured in the Kramatorsk area in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine.

In the neighboring Kharkiv region, one person was slain and six injured.

In Dnipropetrovsk in the southeast, one person was killed in the Nikopol district and six others injured across the region.

In the Sumy region in the northeast, Russian drone strikes killed a 94-year-old woman and wounded three person.

Casualties were also reported in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.

Russian attacks in Kharkiv Oblast injured six people over the past day. In a separate incident, a Russian drone struck a truck in the Kharkiv district on the morning of May 21, killing one person, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.

In Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, where fighting is ongoing in the southeast, Russian strikes killed one person in the Nikopol district and injured six others across the region, according to Governor Oleksandr Hanzha.

In Sumy Oblast, a Russian drone strike killed a 94-year-old woman in the Konotop community and injured another woman. In a separate attack, a 52-year-old man was injured when a drone struck a truck in the Buryn community, while a 32-year-old woman was injured in the Znob-Novhorod community, according to the local military administration.

In Kherson Oblast, Russian forces targeted 45 settlements, including the regional center of Kherson, injuring 10 people, over the past day, the local military administration said.

UPDATE 1430 GMT:

Ukraine special forces have struck a headquarters of Russia’s security service FSB in the occupied Kherson region, killing and wounding about 100 Russian troops, says Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The strike destroyed a Pantsir-S1 air defense system valued at up to $20 million.

“The Russians must realize that they have to bring this war to an end. Ukraine’s medium- and long-range sanctions will continue to take effect,” Zelensky posted.

UPDATE 1130 GMT:

Latvia reported at least one unmanned aerial vehicle in its airspace this morning, with no details on the owner or type of drone.

Last week Prime Minister Evika Silina resigned after dismissing the Defense Minister over two drones that crashed in Latvian territory, including one setting a fire in empty oil storage tanks.

Fellow Baltic state Lithuania is still looking for a military drone that triggered a national air threat alert yesterday, with the country’s leaders led to bunkers and the general public advised to shelter.

Ukraine has accused Russia of redirecting Ukrainian drones, targeting Moscow’s facilities, towards the Baltic countries.

UPDATE 0643 GMT:

Ukraine’s air defenses downed 109 of 116 drones fired by Russia overnight. Five UAVs and a ballistic missile struck four locations.

UPDATE 0634 GMT:

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has reaffirmed UK support for Ukraine, after London relaxed strict sanctions on Russian crude.

A revised UK license was issued on Tuesday because soaring oil costs amid the US-Israel Wars on Iran and Lebanon. It allows imports of fuel refined from Russian oil via third countries. A separate license allowing maritime transport of Russian liqueifed natural gas was also issued.

British officials acknowledged the rollout had been handled “clumsily,” with Trade Minister Chris Bryant apologizing for the confusion and saying the measures would be suspended as soon as possible.

In the call with Zelensky, Starmer outlined the UK’s efforts to intensify pressure on Moscow, including a newly-announced sanctions package.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Ukraine has struck more oil refineries inside Russia as President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks of “long-range sanctions” against Moscow’s 51-month full-scale invasion.

Residents reported that Kyiv hit the refinery in Syzran in the Samara region in southwest Russia overnight. Samara Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev said two people were killed.

The facility is about 700 km (440 miles) northeast of Ukraine’s border with Russia.

Sources said all major refineries in central Russia have halted or rolled back production because of the strikes.

The Kirishi refinery, one of Russia’s largest with a processing capacity of around 20 to 21 million tons of oil per year, has been shut down since May 5. Complexes in Nizhny Novgorod, Ryazan, and Yaroslavl have been affected.

Production was suspended at the Moscow oil refinery after attacks last Sunday.

The affected refineries produce 30% of Russia’s gasoline output and 25% of its diesel output.

The Kstovo oil refinery was targeted on Wednesday. It is unclear if the facility has sustained partial production.

Zelensky summmarized in his nightly address to the nation:

Our long-range plan for May is being carried out…in full. The key targets are Russian oil refineries, storage facilities, and other infrastructure tied to these oil revenues.