Ukraine Launches Long-Range Strikes    06/10 06:19

   

   KYIV, Ukraine (AP) -- A series of long-range Ukrainian attacks hit targets 
deep inside Russia on Wednesday, part of Kyiv's efforts to raise the costs of 
the war for the Kremlin by striking energy facilities and military industries.

   President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces struck several military 
and energy infrastructure sites, including a military factory that he said 
supplied components for Russian drones and missiles.

   In a post on social media, Zelenskyy said Ukrainian FP-5 Flamingo long-range 
missiles had hit the facility in Cheboksary, located in the Chuvashiya region 
more than 900 kilometers (over 560 miles) from the front line.

   Russia's Defense Ministry said that air defenses downed 326 Ukrainian drones 
overnight.

   Oleg Nikolayev, the head of Chuvashiya, confirmed that the missile attack 
but didn't give details. The Astra online news outlet reported that the 
Ukrainian strike hit the VNIIR-Progress plant that produces antennas for drones.

   Zelenskyy also said Ukrainian forces struck a refinery in Russia's Samara 
region, where Gov. Vyacheslav Fedorishchev said that several industrial plants 
were damaged by drone strikes and three people were injured.

   Fedorishchev didn't name the facilities that were damaged, but Astra carried 
images of a large fire at the Samara refinery.

   Zelenskyy added that Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) had also targeted two 
oil infrastructure facilities in Russia's Vladimir region, about 700 kilometers 
from the front line.

   In Russia-occupied Crimea, a Ukrainian drone hit the building housing a huge 
panorama painting depicting the defense of the city during 19th century Crimean 
War. Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Kremlin-appointed head of Sevastopol, said the 
painting by artist Franz Rubo was effectively destroyed.

   As the more than 1,000-kilometer front line in the four-year war has 
remained largely static as swarms of drones hinder advances, both sides have 
increasingly relied on long-range strikes.

   The increasingly deep and audacious Ukrainian strikes have cast a challenge 
to Russia's President Vladimir Putin, defying his claim that Moscow was winning 
the war now in its fifth year.

   Last week, Putin vowed to strengthen Russia's air defenses after Ukrainian 
attacks set ablaze an oil terminal in St. Petersburg and also hit a nearby 
naval base, casting a cloud on his showcase economic forum in his hometown.

   The attacks on St. Petersburg came as another embarrassment for the Russian 
leader, weeks after he pruned back an annual Victory Day parade in Moscow 
because of fears of Ukrainian drone attacks.

   Ukraine's Air Force says air defenses downed 181 of 207 Russian drones.

   A barrage of 26 drones struck Kharkiv early Wednesday, injuring at least 
four people, according to regional administration head Oleh Syniehubov. He said 
one person was killed and 15 others were injured in the region over the past 24 
hours.

   In Zaporizhzhia and its region, 10 people were injured overnight in a series 
of Russian aerial attacks, according to regional head Ivan Fedorov.

   In Odesa, a mother and two children, aged 8 and 10, required medical 
attention after Russian drones damaged two residential buildings, according to 
regional administration head Oleh Kiper.