Russo-Ukrainian war, day 1929: Ukraine hits Russian chemical plant 1,600km away from border

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Ukraine celebrates Tank Troops Day! Here are eight stories of Ukrainian tankers you won't see in movies. From T-64s holding off entire Russian columns to crews rising from near-death like a Phoenix, Ukrainian tank operators have turned armored steel into instruments of courage and survival.

Sabotage on the rails? 15 fuel cars off track, train driver dead near St Petersburg—Rosgvardia blown up by rail bomb in Oryol Oblast (video). Russian authorities confirm a fatal explosion hit Rosgvardiya forces one day before twin train incidents in Leningrad Oblast.

Military

Single act of sabotage 500 kilometers inside Russia rippled into ammunition shortages at front. Partisans disrupted the North Caucasus rail lifeline, leaving artillery units waiting for munitions that never came. Underground inferno in Kharkiv Oblast — anti-mines turn Russian shelters into death traps. Beneath shattered streets and layers of concrete, Russian troops hoped to hide in tunnels and basements. Ukraine hits Forbes-ranked Russian chemical giant 1,600-km away. It produces explosives for military. The Metafrax Chemicals facility produces urea, a key component for ammonium-nitrate explosives used in artillery shells and mines. Ukraine intelligence confirms attack on Russian railway supplying military forces [updated]. Explosive devices discovered during a routine track inspection detonated in Russia's Oryol Oblast and killed three National Guard officers. Ukraine's drones hit deep—St Petersburg's main fuel plant engulfed in flames (video). Satellite data and geolocated videos confirmed a major fire erupted inside the Kirishi refinery. Ukrainian navy hits Russian Black Sea fleet communications hub in occupied Crimea. Ukrainian Naval Forces targeted the 184th Research Experimental Base that "provided command and control for Black Sea Fleet units," according to official military sources. Frontline report: Ukrainian forces spring trap on Russian breakthrough near Pokrovsk. Systematic clearing operations conclude months-long Russian offensive with Ukraine controlling key supply routes to Kramatorsk.

Intelligence and technology

Russia wants back its S-400s from Turkiye, which it used not only for air defense in Ukraine's war. Battlefield losses and Ukrainian drone strikes have left Moscow scrambling. Russian developers on edge as war funds take precedence, intelligence says. Falling sales and mounting debts push developers deeper into crisis, while buyers struggle to secure loans.

International

Russian drones crash into Poland — but real target is Western support for Kyiv. Fear and propaganda hit harder than drones as the Kremlin tests NATO's willingness to defend Kyiv. Russia might sent 20-ton message to Poland during Zapad-2025 drills. The armored vehicle appeared on the streets of Grodno, just miles from Poland, in what analysts call a show of force wrapped in outdated steel. Trump's Poland drones response alarms NATO allies. They question US defense commitments —Reuters. Multiple diplomatic sources across Europe described reactions ranging from dismay to confusion following Trump's suggestion that the Russian drone incursion into Poland "could have been a mistake." Read our earlier daily review here.