Updated

President Zelensky said Ukraine will step up strikes on Russian oil refineries in direct response to what he called Moscow's new doctrine of aerial terror aimed at forcing residents to flee Kyiv and other cities. Ukrainian drones reportedly struck targets in Russia's Samara and Bryansk oblasts, as well as industrial sites in Volgograd and Krasnodar, with Russia's Defense Ministry claiming 646 drones were intercepted overnight across the country. The sustained Ukrainian pressure on Russia's energy sector has had economic ripple effects: Russian officials said they may partially lift a diesel export ban if overproduction occurs, acknowledging the situation from drone attacks on energy infrastructure remains 'tense.' Zelensky framed the refinery campaign as a proportional response to Putin's effort to project strength amid battlefield setbacks.