KYIV, Ukraine (AP) \u2014 Ukrainian forces hit two of Russia\u2019s biggest oil refineries overnight in its latest long-range strikes, officials said Wednesday, as Kyiv deepened its economic, military and diplomatic pressure on Moscow.<\/p>\n
Ukraine\u2019s almost daily long-range drone and missile strikes using domestically developed weapons have battered Russian oil facilities<\/a> for months. The operation has brought a fuel crisis that is embarrassing the Kremlin more than four years after Russia\u2019s all-out invasion<\/a> of its neighbor.<\/p>\n The overnight attacks started fires at a Lukoil refinery in Russia\u2019s Perm region, more than 1,500 kilometers (900 miles) from Ukraine, and a refinery in Ryazan, about 400 kilometers (180 miles) from the border, Ukraine\u2019s Security Service and General Staff said in separate statements.<\/p>\n The refineries have a combined annual production capacity of around 220 million barrels of oil, according to Ukraine, and make a vital contribution to Russia\u2019s military effort and its government revenue.<\/p>\n It was not immediately possible to independently verify the claims. Ryazan Gov. Pavel Malkov said only that six people were taken to hospital after a drone attack. He said drone debris caused fires at unidentified \u201cindustrial sites.\u201d<\/p>\n Russian online retailer Wildberries, a major supplier likened to Amazon that Ukraine has targeted in recent days<\/a>, said it evacuated employees from a facility in Ryazan but provided no further details.<\/p>\n Russia has sophisticated air defenses but its vast territory is hard to comprehensively cover.<\/p>\n The attacks came hours after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Washington<\/a> on Tuesday for talks with U.S. President Donald Trump to push for more vital American help for Ukraine\u2019s fight against its much bigger enemy.<\/p>\n \u201cRussia must feel that every day of this war will only come at a higher cost for it. We need to weaken the aggressor and keep up the pressure to bring an end to this war closer,\u201d Zelenskyy said on social media.<\/p>\n Ukraine\u2019s recent high-profile successes<\/a> against Russia have impressed Washington and helped restore U.S. goodwill after Trump\u2019s reluctance<\/a> at the start of his second term to keep supporting Kyiv. That stance had raised the specter of Ukraine and Europe having to stand up to Russian aggression alone.<\/p>\n Zelenskyy says he had a good meeting with Trump <\/p>\n Zelenskyy said he had a \u201cgood meeting\u201d with the American president, and Trump described the meeting as a \u201cGreat Honor.\u201d The talks took place behind closed doors.<\/p>\n \u201cMany things were discussed. The meeting went very well!\u201d Trump wrote on Truth Social.<\/p>\n Zelenskyy said he also had a meeting in Washington with representatives of both parties in the U.S. Senate, with more than 60 senators in attendance, as Ukraine pushes for more sanctions on Russia<\/a>. He also met with representatives of Lockheed Martin, days after he welcomed a delegation from Raytheon<\/a> to Kyiv.<\/p>\n The U.S. weapons manufacturers are a crucial source of sophisticated weaponry, such as Patriot air defense systems, that Ukraine hopes to make itself. Trump said earlier this month he would grant Ukraine licenses<\/a> to manufacture the Patriots it needs to counter Russia\u2019s ballistic missiles.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \n Sign up for Morning Wire:<\/strong> Zelenskyy says Ukraine is discussing joint production and technology exchange with both Lockheed Martin and Raytheon.<\/p>\n Ukraine is ready to share its cutting-edge \u2014 and battle-tested \u2014 drone technology<\/a>. Its swift technical innovation has paid dividends<\/a> as it helps pin down Russia\u2019s bigger army on the front line and denies it supplies by hitting rear areas.<\/p>\n That has impressed countries around the world. Matthew Whitaker, the U.S. Ambassador to NATO, said during a visit to Ukraine earlier this week: \u201cFrom reconnaissance and logistics to precision strikes, Ukraine has shown the world how unmanned systems can give smaller forces a decisive edge.\u201d<\/p>\n US envoys to visit Kyiv but no date set<\/p>\n Prospects for a settlement to stop the fighting appear dim, despite a yearlong diplomatic push<\/a> by the Trump administration.<\/p>\n But U.S. officials also agreed that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the president\u2019s main envoys, would make a trip to Kyiv sometime in the future, according to a person familiar with the talks who was granted anonymity to discuss the closed-door meeting.<\/p>\n Maj. Gen. Mykhailo Drapatyi<\/a>, the new commander-in-chief of Ukraine\u2019s military, said in a social media post on Wednesday that he had held his first phone conversation with Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe and Commander of U.S. European Command.<\/p>\n
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