Smoke rises from Russia’s Saratov oil refinery after Ukraine drone strikes, May 30, 2026

Saturday’s Coverage: Zelensky Warns of “New Massive Attack” by Russia

UPDATE 0651 GMT:

Kyiv has pushed back Russia’s claims that a Ukrainian drone struck the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, in the south of the country.

The plant is Europe’s largest with six dormant reactors. It was seized by the Russians in the first days of the full-scale invasion in March 2022.

Ukraine’s military condemned “yet another propaganda ploy”:

Ukrainian servicemen act strictly within the international humanitarian law and are fully aware of the consequences of any actions targeting nuclear facilities.

At the relevant section of the frontline, there was no active fighting during the incident, and no weapons were used.

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, said, “Attacking nuclear sites is like playing with fire.” An IAEA team has requested access to examine a turbine building.

ORIGINAL ENTRY: Ukraine’s drones have again struck the Saratov oil refinery, one of Russia’s largest.

Photos and videos posted to social media showed flames in the refinery, more than 850 km (533 miles) southeast of Moscow. Thick black smoke rose over Saratov city.

In 2023, the plant processed around 4.8 million metric tons of crude oil. It produces more than 20 different petroleum products, including gasoline, diesel, fuel oil, and bitumen.

Ukrainian drones also reportedly struck an oil depot in the city of Matveyev Kurgan in the Rostov Oblast in southwest Russia.

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The Nizhny Novgorod region announced a new ministry for drone defense, under a decree signed by Governor Gleb Nikitin on Saturday.

The move follows a series of Ukranian attacks against the region, including a reported strike on May 28 that allegedly damaged the courthouse in the regional capital.

The ministry will be tasked with “the protection of the region’s airspace and its utility and energy infrastructure, which are among the primary targets of enemy drone attacks,” according to Nikitin.

The new drone defense body will be part of a single executive structure along with Nizhny Novogorod’s energy, housing, and utilities ministry.

Nizhny Novgorod lies over 600 kilometers (about 373 miles) from the Ukrainian border. The creation of the drone defense ministry reflects Ukraine’s increasingly effective deep strike campaign against targets in the Russian rear.