The China Mail - Ukraine drones hit Russian oil energy facility: Kyiv source

The claim came as Ukrainian authorities said a Russian missile strike had wounded nearly two dozen people in the eastern city of Kharkiv and that Moscow had launched 145 drones at Ukraine overnight.

Moscow and Kyiv have been intensifying cross border drone and missile attacks and Russia last week launched its new Oreshnik missile on Ukraine, spurring calls for de-escalation.

"As a result of an operation by the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, a fuel and energy facility in the Kaluga region of Russia was hit overnight," the source said.

The Russian governor of Kaluga, which lies just south of the capital Moscow, said air defence systems in the region had downed eight drones and confirmed that an "industrial enterprise" had caught fire.

Unverified images on social media of the alleged attack showed tracer ammunition cutting through the night sky and a large blaze next to two industrial chimneys.

"The target of the attack was an oil depot of Kaluganefteprodukt JSC, which is involved in supporting Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine," the source said.

- Attacks 'can be stopped' -

Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week's strike on the city of Dnipro had tested in combat conditions "one of the newest Russian mid-range missile systems" and pledged further such "tests" would be carried out.

On Monday, AFP journalists in Kharkiv saw residents and rescue workers assessing the damage and clearing rubble after the Russian strike on the town that has come under repeated bombardments since the Kremlin launched its invasion in early 2022.

Mayor Igor Terekhov said 23 people had been wounded and some 40 buildings were damaged, including official or administrative offices.

The Ukrainian air force said it had shot down 71 drones -- including the Iranian-designed Shahed -- launched by Russian forces while another 71 were "presumably" downed using electronic jamming defensive systems.

"Previously, the Shahed attacks were carried out only at night. Now the enemy is using attack UAVs during the daytime as well," the air force said in its statement.

In the southern port city of Odesa meanwhile, authorities said a Russian attack had damaged infrastructure facilities and left some people wounded.

"These Russian attacks on Ukrainian life can be stopped -- through pressure, sanctions, blocking the occupiers' access to the components they use to create the tools of this terror, military aid packages for Ukraine, and a determination that must be unwavering," President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

J.Liv--ThChM