The Armed Forces of Ukraine have issued a formal rebuttal to Russian state media reports, accusing Moscow of spreading manipulative information about recent Ukrainian strikes in temporarily occupied territory.
“Russian media are actively spreading manipulative information about the alleged targeting by the Armed Forces of Ukraine of civilian infrastructure facilities in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine,” the General Staff said.
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It said Ukrainian forces strike “military infrastructure and facilities used for military purposes,” while “strictly adhering to international humanitarian law, the laws and customs of war.”
According to the General Staff, on the night of Friday, Ukrainian forces hit a number of Russian military targets, including an oil refinery, ammunition depots, air defense facilities, command posts and enemy manpower.
Targeting a Russian Drone Hub
The centerpiece of the Ukrainian operation was a strike on a specialized military command hub located in Starobilsk, a strategically important junction in occupied Luhansk Oblast. The target was identified as a headquarters belonging to Russia’s “Rubikon” special unit.
Formally designated as the Center for Advanced Unmanned Technologies, Rubikon is not a civilian facility, but an elite drone warfare unit within the Russian armed forces.
According to Ukrainian officials, the unit is involved in Russia’s unmanned aerial vehicle campaign against Ukraine.
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Fire at Oil Terminal in Russia’s Novorossiysk; Officials Blame ‘Fallen Drone Debris’
A fire broke out at an oil terminal in Russia’s Black Sea port city of Novorossiysk, with regional officials blaming “falling drone debris.” Several technical and administrative buildings caught fire, while emergency services worked at the scene. Ukrainian media reported that the fire affected the Sheskharis terminal, one of southern Russia’s largest oil-loading facilities.
Military analysts say such units are used to coordinate, program and launch drone strikes, including attacks on Ukrainian civilian areas and critical energy infrastructure.
The Tactical Pivot: Hunting the Source
The strike on the Rubikon facility reflects Ukraine’s growing focus on targeting the infrastructure behind Russia’s drone attacks. Leveraging high-grade battlefield intelligence, Ukrainian forces are hunting the drone command hubs at their launch sources.
For months, Ukrainian air defenses have been forced to respond to repeated waves of Russian Shahed-type strike drones targeting cities including Kyiv.
Ukraine’s approach increasingly includes strikes on drone command hubs, launch points, ammunition depots and supporting infrastructure used by Russian forces.
By targeting these nodes, Kyiv is effectively disrupting Russia’s aerial capability at the root before drones reach Ukrainian cities.
Unlike Moscow, which faces international condemnation for systematic strikes on civilian infrastructure, Kyiv operates under intense international scrutiny. Strict compliance with international humanitarian law is both a legal obligation and a strategic necessity. By launching surgical strikes exclusively on verified military assets, Ukraine seeks to degrade Russian capabilities while maintaining trust with Western allies.