Russia says Ukraine hit Tuapse refinery reservoir, setting it ablaze
A Ukrainian attack set a gasoline tank ablaze at Russia’s Tuapse oil complex on the shores of the Black Sea, Krasnodar’s regional governor Veniamin Kondratiev said, adding that no one had been hurt in the strike.
As many as 121 firefighters were battling to put out the flames, Kondratiev added, without saying if the refinery was hit by a drone or missile.
The export-oriented Tuapse plant, which has a processing capacity of 240,000 barrels per day of oil, produces naphtha, fuel oil, vacuum gasoil and high-sulphur diesel, mainly supplying China, Malaysia, Singapore and Turkey.
EU diplomats suggest doubling military aid for Ukraine this year
The European Union should be prepared to go as far as doubling its military aid to Ukraine this year to 40 billion euros if necessary, according to a discussion paper by the bloc’s diplomatic service seen by Reuters on Friday.
The paper, an updated version of an earlier proposal that set out Ukraine’s requirements but did not name a target figure, also says each EU country participating in the effort should contribute “in line with its economic weight”.
The paper says the EU gave about 20 billion euros in military aid to Ukraine last year and encourages EU countries to do at least the same again in 2025, with the total “potentially reaching” 40 billion euros, depending on Kyiv’s needs.
EU leaders are likely to discuss the proposal by the European External Action Service, headed by former Estonian prime minister Kaja Kallas, at a summit next week.
Ukraine’s air force said it downs 16 out of 27 drones launched by Russia overnight
The Ukrainian military said on Friday that it shot down 16 out of 27 drones launched by Russia overnight.
Another nine drones did not reach their targets, likely due to electronic warfare countermeasures, it added.
The late evening drone attack injured seven people in the northeastern city of Kharkiv, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.
It also injured one woman and caused a fire at a hospital in the surrounding region, he added via Telegram messaging app.
In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, a fire rages at a civilian hospital following a Russian drone attack in Zolochiv, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Friday, March 14, 2025. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)
Ukrainian drones struck two Russian gas compressor stations, SBU official tells Reuters
Ukrainian drones struck gas compressor stations in Russia’s Tambov and Saratov regions, a source in Ukraine’s SBU security service told Reuters on Friday.
A video from the site showed the drones striking the industrial equipment and powerful explosions, according to the source.
The Ukrainian drones also struck a field depot for S-300/S-400 missiles in Russia’s Belgorod region, detonating ammunition, the source added.
Putin discusses Ukraine in call with Saudi crown prince
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman over the telephone to discuss a possible settlement of the Ukraine conflict, the Kremlin said Friday.
The call took place shortly after Putin on Thursday said he had “serious questions” about Washington’s plan for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine but added that Moscow was ready to discuss it with US President Donald Trump.
Putin told the crown prince he “greatly appreciated the mediation efforts of Saudi Arabia”, which hosted talks between Russian and American officials on February 18, a Kremlin statement said.
Prince Mohammed “noted the importance of resolving the Ukrainian crisis and expressed readiness to continue to contribute in every possible way to the normalisation of Russian-American relations”, it said.
Russia downs four drones flying towards Moscow, mayor says
Russian air defences repelled an attack by four drones flying towards Moscow, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Friday, and initial information suggested nobody had been hurt.
“Emergency services are working at the site where debris came down,” Sobyanin said on his official channel on the Telegram messaging app.
He did not mention Ukraine, but Kyiv has launched a steady stream of drone attacks on Russia since President Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago, most of of them targeting energy and other infrastructure.
Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the wider Moscow region, said that three of the drones had been brought down over his region. Debris had fallen on a construction site and a residential building under construction, said Vorobyov, adding that there had been no casualties.
One of the drones had hit the roof of a multi-storey residential building in the west of Moscow, the RIA news agency reported, citing initial information from emergency services.
G7 seeking ‘unity’ at Canada summit
Diplomats from the G7 nations were set to negotiate late into the night over a joint statement to show a united front in Canada on Thursday after weeks of tension between US allies and President Donald Trump over his upending of Western trade and security policy.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed his colleagues on talks on Tuesday with Ukraine in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where Kyiv said it was ready to support a 30-day ceasefire deal. But officials said ambiguous comments by Russian President Vladimir Putin left delegates unclear where things stood.
In the run-up to the first G7 meeting of Canada’s presidency, the crafting of an agreed all-encompassing final statement had been tough, but diplomats said the atmosphere since had been positive and candid.
There was hope for an accord, something they said was vital to show unity: “If we can’t reach agreement on the communique, then it shows the division. It’s not in the interest of any of the members of the G7,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told Reuters on the sidelines of the G7 foreign ministers’ meeting.
Welcome to our liveblog, where we post the latest news on the war in Ukraine. To read all about yesterday’s key developments, click here.
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