Drone Attack Sparks Fire at Orenburg Gas Processing Plant in Russia
A drone attack on the Orenburg gas processing plant in Russia has sparked a fire, marking a significant incident in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The plant, which is part of the Orenburg gas chemical complex, is considered the world’s largest facility of its kind, with an annual capacity of 45 billion cubic meters of gas. This event has raised concerns about the safety and stability of critical energy infrastructure in the region.
Regional Governor Yevgeny Solntsev confirmed the attack, stating that it caused a fire and left the plant partially damaged. This marks the first reported instance of the facility being targeted. While there has been no official confirmation from Ukraine regarding the attack, the country has increased its attacks on Russian refineries and energy facilities since August. These actions are aimed at disrupting petrol supplies and limiting Moscow’s funding.
Developments in the War in Ukraine
The weekend of October 18 and 19 saw several developments in the war between Russia and Ukraine. One of the key events was the targeting of a major Russian gas processing plant in a drone strike. Ukrainian forces claimed to have shot down 40 out of 62 drones launched by Russia overnight into Sunday. Nineteen drones struck seven locations, damaging apartment blocks in the eastern town of Shakhtarske. Ten people were injured in the incident.
Meanwhile, the Russian Defence Ministry reported intercepting 45 Ukrainian drones, mostly over the Samara and Saratov regions in southern Russia. In the Urals, a drone hit a gas plant in Orenburg, sparking a fire. No injuries were reported.
Putin’s Land Swap Demands in Trump Call
Russian President Vladimir Putin reportedly demanded full control of Ukraine’s Donetsk region during a call with former US President Donald Trump. According to the Washington Post, two senior officials familiar with the conversation revealed that Putin offered to surrender parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson in exchange for control of Donetsk. This is a more restrained territorial claim compared to what Putin had previously stated.
Trump did not mention the demands in public remarks during a meeting with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday. However, Trump plans to meet Putin in Hungary to continue discussions on the matter.
Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Plant Power Line Repairs
Repair work has begun on the power lines to the Russian-held Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant after a four-week outage. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi emphasized the importance of restoring off-site power for nuclear safety and security. The plant, which was occupied by Russian forces shortly after the start of the invasion in February 2022, requires external power for cooling, even though its reactors have been shut down.
Russia Renews Attacks on Energy Supply
Russian forces continued their attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure overnight. More than 10 strikes hit Chuhuiv in the eastern Kharkiv region, causing power outages in almost all districts. The regional energy supplier in the northern city of Chernihiv reported around 17,000 customers without power after attacks on an energy infrastructure facility in the Koriukivka district.
Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched a total of 164 explosive-laden drones at Ukraine in overnight attacks. Some 136 were repelled, while 27 hit targets in 12 locations. Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed its forces have taken the village of Pleshchiivka in the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, although this claim has not been independently verified.
Explosion in Explosives Factory in Russia
A large explosion in an explosives factory in the Russian city of Sterlitamak in the Urals has killed three women, according to a senior local official. The blast was refuted as being caused by a drone attack. Five other people were hospitalized, and one building was destroyed. The plant continued to manufacture “extremely necessary and sought-after products for our country,” according to Radi Khabirov, head of the Russian autonomous republic of Bashkortostan.
Ukrainian Attack in Russian-Controlled Kherson
A Ukrainian drone attack on a Russian-occupied part of the Kherson region in southern Ukraine has killed two people, according to the Russian-installed governor of the area, Vladimir Saldo. Both victims lived in a temporary accommodation centre for evacuees. Russia claimed to have annexed the Kherson region in its entirety in September 2022 but only controls parts of it.
UK’s Starmer and Zelenskyy Hail ‘Productive’ Call
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy hailed a “productive” call with Kyiv’s European allies following Zelenskyy’s meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House. Starmer called for a “just and lasting peace” in Ukraine and reiterated the UK’s commitment to supporting Ukraine. The call included leaders from Germany, Finland, Italy, Norway, and Poland, along with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and European Council President Antonio Costa.
Zelenskyy’s Hope for Tomahawks
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has stated that Kyiv has not abandoned the hope that the US will approve the delivery of long-range Tomahawk missiles, despite a meeting with US President Donald Trump where the issue was apparently sidelined. Zelenskyy noted that the weapons are a sensitive issue for Moscow and that Russian President Vladimir Putin fears their delivery to Kyiv.
Trump’s reticence on delivering Kyiv Tomahawks follows a period when he seemed more open to the idea. According to Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, Putin told Trump during the call that if Kyiv received the Tomahawks, it wouldn’t “change the situation on the battlefield, but would cause substantial damage to the relationship between” the US and Russia.
