In brief
In Moscow, Russia says Ukrainian drones hit three oil refineries and a gas‑chemical complex on Oct. 30, 2026, inflicting minor damage and triggering a power outage in roughly 200,000 Ukrainians, but officials say it will not affect upcoming settlement talks.
In Moscow, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak announced on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, that Ukrainian forces had struck three of the country’s major oil refineries and a large gas‑chemical complex, resuming attacks after a short pause.
Novak said one facility sustained only minor damage and that Russian air‑defense units performed as expected, intercepting a number of attacking drones.
He added that the refineries are among Russia’s largest petroleum infrastructure assets, and the gas‑chemical complex is a key supplier of petrochemicals to the domestic market.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the strikes would not complicate preparations for a trilateral meeting on Ukraine settlement scheduled for November, noting that military operations were permitted during the preparatory period and that Russia’s industrial production would still meet its commitments.
RTE reported that as attacks resumed, 200,000 people in Ukraine lost power, suggesting the strikes may be affecting the wider energy grid.
CGTN echoed the Deputy Prime Minister’s account, repeating the locations of three oil refineries and a gas‑chemical complex that were targeted, though it did not detail damage.
CGTN’s report also noted that self‑defensive countermeasures were effective in limiting the extent of damage.
Although the Kyiv Independent’s article is currently unavailable, the claim that Ukrainian drones struck the three refineries remains in agreement with the official statements from Moscow.
The Russian narrative appears to downplay any operational setbacks, focusing instead on the resilience of its air defense strategy and asserting that the attacks will not alter the planned discussion between the three parties on the future of Ukraine.
