Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Saturday that Ukrainian forces struck the Novokuybyshevsk refinery, located 1,000 kilometres from the front line, claiming to have deprived Russia of "millions of dollars in export revenues."

In a post on X, Zelenskyy stated that the long-range operations also hit a logistics hub in the Samara region and targets in the Black Sea.

"Ukrainian long-range sanctions continue to limit Russia's military and economic potential, ensuring the aggressor state feels the impact of the war more directly," he wrote, adding that the strikes were "depriving the Russian war machine of millions of dollars in export revenues."

Reviewing previous strikes, Zelenskyy noted that Ukrainian forces had destroyed a Su-24M aircraft and four pieces of airfield equipment, and that drone-control relay stations in the Bryansk region had been taken out.

Diplomatic Push on Air Defence

Zelenskyy also held a series of diplomatic engagements focused on securing critical air defence systems for the winter season.

Meeting with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, Zelenskyy discussed strengthening air defence and advancing a bilateral Drone Deal agreement. Wadephul, highlighting the urgency of winter preparations, wrote on X: "Ukraine is celebrating its 35th Independence Day these days. At the same time, Putin's rockets & drones are attacking the country more relentlessly than ever before."

In a separate conversation, Zelenskyy discussed with French President Emmanuel Macron the prioritisation of Patriot interceptors, as well as French equipment, missiles, and production licenses. Macron confirmed readiness to assist in securing Patriot interceptors from international partners and to accelerate the delivery of advanced French equipment.

Macron condemned the latest Russian strikes, stating that Russia is "continuing and intensifying the crime of its aggression" and that by targeting civilians it is "above all revealing an admission of weakness." He also referenced the launch meeting of the Anti-Missile Coalition held in Paris on July 13 and a letter of intent signed on November 17.

Zelenskyy also discussed with General Keith Kellogg the importance of supplying interceptors for Patriot systems as an absolute priority to counter escalating Russian strikes on infrastructure.

Casualties and Damage in Kryvyi Rih and Elsewhere

In Kryvyi Rih, a strike on a shopping mall left 16 people dead and 130 injured, including 23 children. The fire, which spread across 9,000 square meters, has been extinguished, according to reports. Rescuers from seven regions and canine search teams were involved in the clearing and search operation at the site.

Oleksandr Vilkul, head of the city's defence council, said 121 people were wounded, 29 critically, including a 14-year-old girl with a brain injury and four other children, as reported by CNN. Authorities described the strike as a "double-tap" attack, and footage geolocated by CNN showed a drone hitting the mall, causing a fireball, with smoke from an earlier strike still visible.

Overnight missile and drone strikes damaged railway infrastructure in Kyiv, killing one person and injuring another. In Zaporizhzhia, an FPV drone strike on a city minibus injured three people. Attacks were also reported in the Odesa, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Donetsk, Sumy, Kherson, Chernihiv, and Mykolaiv regions, damaging residential buildings, energy and railway infrastructure facilities, and civilian businesses.

Russia has intensified aerial attacks on Ukraine in recent months amid a static frontline and strained Ukrainian air defences.