Victorious news of 806th day of war: Ukrainian drones set record by targeting Gazprom's refinery in Bashkiria, US to resume aid to Ukraine

Ukrainian drones reach Bashkiria for the first time

On May 9, drones attacked Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat. This is one of the largest oil refineries in Russia, located in Bashkiria. By reaching this refinery, Ukrainian drones set a new record. This was reported by Defense express analysts.

“Today, May 9, marked a new chapter in Russia’s ‘geography.’ A Ukrainian drone managed to cover a distance of over 1,400 km, reaching deep into Russian territory. The incursion resulted in damage to one of Russia's major oil refineries, Gazprom Neftekhim Salavat, located in Bashkiria,” Defense express reports, adding that there were at least two drones involved.

Analysts speculate that these are the same type of drones that were used to effectively attack the Alabuga Shahed production facility and the TANECO refinery in Tatarstan, Russia, on April 2 at a range of over 1,200 kilometers.  Now the drones have been able to cover a distance of over 1,400 km.

“It's worth noting that their flight path was likely not direct, yet hitting a refinery with a processing capacity of 10 million tons places it firmly in the top 10,” Defense express believes.

Drones attack two Russian oil depots that supply fuel to the army

On the night of May 9, SBU drones attacked two oil transshipment depots in Russia's Krasnodar region. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported the downing of 21 aerial targets. 

It is noted that the drones hit two oil depots in the village of Yurivka near Anapa in the Krasnodar region of the Russian Federation. They are transshipment points for fuel supplies to Russian troops in Crimea, as they are located near the peninsula.

“The explosions season at Russian refineries and fuel depots are in full swing. The SBU will continue to reduce Russia's economic and logistical potential for warfare,” the source said. 

The US promises to increase the pace of assistance to Ukraine

US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller stated during a briefing that the United States will resume providing assistance to Ukraine at the previous pace before the funding hiatus, reports European Pravda.

Miller noted that the United States is currently working on a new defense assistance package for Ukraine.

"We are working on other packages. I think you can expect us get back to the kind of tempo we were at before we had this break in funding,” said the State Department spokesman.

Photo: gettyimages

Slovak funds to procure nearly 2,700 shells for Ukraine

The first €4 million raised by the people of Slovakia to buy ammunition for Ukraine will be used to purchase almost 2,700 artillery shells, Ceske Noviny reports.

After the Slovak government refused to support the Czech initiative to purchase ammunition for Ukraine, the Slovaks decided to join the aid themselves. They have already raised 4 million euros and will use them to purchase 2,692 artillery shells from the Czech company STV Group. The fundraising is ongoing.

The organizers of the campaign noted that the ammunition should be delivered to Ukraine no later than the end of summer.

"We consult with the Czech Ministry of Defense on all purchases. They confirm to us whether the price is appropriate," said Dodo Dobryk, a participant in the Gift for Putin project. 

According to Dobryk, a memorandum on the purchase of ammunition as part of the Slovak fundraising will be signed in May. Meanwhile, fundraising for ammunition for Ukraine in Slovakia continues.

Ukraine to receive first ammunition under Czech initiative in May

Czech President Petr Pavel said in an interview with ARD that the first delivery under the Czech initiative to purchase ammunition for Ukraine is likely to take place in June: 180,000 units of ammunition are planned to be delivered.

“Together with our Prime Minister Petr Fiala, I assume that the first 180,000 units of ammunition will be delivered (to Ukraine - ed.) in June, and there are already contracts for a further five or six-digit number of shells,” he said. 

Answering the question of why the deliveries are taking so long, the Czech president noted that one of the reasons is competition, delays in funding and a long decision-making process. 

“Throughout the war in Ukraine, the West has been very cautious in its support. From the very beginning, the goal was to prevent the conflict from escalating, and each new stage was discussed for a long time before it was implemented. If we had skipped this period of discussion and risk assessment, Ukraine would have received this assistance several months, perhaps even years earlier, and the situation could have been different,” he explained.