Russian Drones Target Kyiv Gas Stations as Air War Intensifies

KYIV: Russian drones targeted two gas stations in Kyiv for the second consecutive day on Friday, injuring five people as Moscow intensified its aerial campaign against Ukraine’s capital and other urban areas.

The strikes hit gas stations in Kyiv’s Dniprovskyi and Obolonskyi districts within a span of about 10 minutes, according to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service. Five people, including an emergency responder, were wounded in the attacks. Ukrainian authorities urged residents to avoid lingering near gas stations and other exposed infrastructure during air-raid alerts.

Ukrainian officials said attacks on gas stations and other civilian infrastructure appeared aimed at disrupting daily life and undermining public morale. The strikes come as Russia’s aerial campaign increasingly reaches densely populated areas, while Ukraine continues efforts to strengthen its air defenses ahead of winter.

In the central Ukrainian city of Pavlohrad, Russian drone strikes near shopping centers killed five people and wounded 67 others, according to Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. Authorities declared Friday a day of mourning for those killed. In Zaporizhzhia, a Russian drone attack also wounded a woman and her 10-year-old son after striking a residential building and a shopping mall.

At the same time, Ukraine has intensified its own long-range drone campaign against targets deep inside Russia. Ukrainian forces reported striking an oil refinery in Siberia more than 3,000 kilometers from Ukraine, as Kyiv seeks to put pressure on Russia’s energy infrastructure and war economy.

The attacks have contributed to disruptions in Russia’s fuel sector. According to the Center for Research on Energy and Clean Air, Russian oil-product exports reached record lows in August, while fuel imports from countries including South Korea and India surged.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said its air defenses intercepted 777 Ukrainian drones overnight across 16 Russian regions, as well as occupied Crimea and waters of the Azov and Caspian seas. Russian officials also reported casualties and damage in several regions, including Tula and Saratov, where a drone strike reportedly sparked a fire at an oil refinery.

The latest escalation comes as diplomatic efforts to end the war continue alongside intensified aerial attacks, with both Russia and Ukraine increasingly relying on long-range drones to strike infrastructure far from the front lines.