Ukrainian forces continued to blast military-linked infrastructure deep inside Russia, as Kyiv and Moscow traded strikes ahead of a deadline set by US President Donald Trump for the Kremlin to accept a peace deal with Ukraine.
Russian authorities in the Black Sea resort city of Sochi said Ukrainian drones had set a regional oil depot on fire early on August 3, with more than 120 firefighters said to be battling to control the flames.
In the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolayiv, a Russian missile strike destroyed homes and civilian infrastructure, the regional governor said on August 3. At least seven civilians were reported injured in the attack. Ukraine’s State Emergency Service said three of the wounded were being treated in a hospital.
The latest round of attacks come as Ukraine appears to be stepping up drone strikes deep inside Russia at a time when Trump is pressing Russian President Vladimir Putin to agree to a cease-fire and an end to the war, now in its fourth year.
In July, Trump said Putin had 50 days to end the war, or Russia would face severe tariffs targeting its oil and other exports, but he said earlier this week that he had set a new “10 or 12” day timeline, later clarifying August 8 as the deadline.
This corresponded with a deadly week for civilians in Ukraine, including a July 31 attack on Kyiv involving more than 300 drones that killed at least 31 people, as Ukrainian forces also increased strikes on Russian infrastructure.
Russian authorities said the recent drone attack on the Sochi oil refinery was one of several launched by Ukraine over the weekend, targeting installations in the southern Russian cities of Ryazan, Penza, and Voronezh.
Russia’s Defense Ministry also said on August 3 that its air defenses intercepted 93 drones Ukrainian drones overnight, 60 of which were over the Black Sea region.
Measnwhile, Ukraine’s air force said on August 3 Russia fired 83 drones or 76 drones and seven missiles throughout the night, 61 of which were shot down.
It added that 16 drones and six missiles struck targets in eight locations.
What Will Happen With Trump’s Truce Deadline For Putin?
The escalating attacks and the approaching deadline set by Washington also come as Trump said on August 1 that he had deployed nuclear-capable submarines to the “appropriate regions.”
That announcement was in response to a threatening social media post by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who is now deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, that suggested he would be ready to launch a nuclear strike as tensions rise over the war in Ukraine.
In an August 1 post on Truth Social, Trump said he had decided to reposition the nuclear submarines “closer to Russia” because of “highly provocative statements” by Medvedev.
The US president did not specify whether these were nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed submarines.
Asked later by reporters why he ordered the submarine movement, Trump said that “a threat was made by a former president of Russia, and we’re going to protect our people.”
He was referring to a July 28 post on X by Medvedev where he accused Washington of playing a “game of ultimatums” in response to Trump’s announcement that he shortened the deadline for the Kremlin to accept a cease-fire from 50 to 10 days, writing that “each new ultimatum is a threat and a step toward war.”
Trump has voiced frustration with Putin more recently after initially appearing more concilatory toward striking a deal with Moscow following his return to office in January.
The US president has since said Putin has been stalling efforts to broker a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine and earlier this week described Russia’s continued attacks on civilian areas as “disgusting.”
Putin has not publicly responded to Trump’s latest deadline. He has periodically claimed to be interested in peace, but only on terms wholly unacceptable to Kyiv.
In an apparent reference to Trump’s comments, Putin said on August 1 that “all disappointments arise from inflated expectations. This is a well-known general rule.”
It is not immediately clear what will happen should Trump’s August 8 deadline not be met.
In an effort to perhaps strike a last-minute deal, Trump said he is sending his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, to Moscow following his current trip to Israel, although a specific itinerary has not been disclosed.
Trump has spoken of imposing further sanctions on Russia and crippling secondary tariffs on countries importing Russian oil.
Given that these would include targeting China and India, the two largest buyers of Russian oil, some analysts have expressed skepticism that Washington will take this measure.
With reporting by Reuters and AP