Two Killed As Russian Jet-Powered Drones Strike Kyiv Petrol Station

At least two people were killed and 12 others injured after Russian jet-powered drones struck a petrol station in Kyiv, Ukraine, with a 12-year-old boy among the wounded. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said a first responder was also injured in what he described as a “double-tap strike”. Ukraine says Russia has increasingly targeted petrol stations, warehouses and logistics facilities with faster drones, while Russia denies deliberately targeting civilians. Ukraine has also intensified drone attacks inside Russia, targeting logistics and energy infrastructure linked to Moscow’s war effort.

DEADLY DRONE STRIKE HITS KYIV

At least two people have been killed and 12 others injured after Russian jet-powered drones struck a petrol station in Kyiv, Ukrainian officials said.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said a 12-year-old boy was among those injured in Friday’s attack.
The strike caused damage at the petrol station and surrounding areas, adding to growing concerns over Russia’s increasing use of faster drones against infrastructure and commercial facilities.

FIRST RESPONDER AMONG THE WOUNDED

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said one of those injured was a first responder who was wounded during what he described as a “double-tap strike”.
A double-tap strike refers to a second attack carried out after an initial strike, potentially targeting people who arrive to rescue or assist victims.
Zelenskyy accused Russia of increasingly targeting civilian infrastructure and described the attacks as becoming “increasingly terrorist in nature”.

RUSSIA STEPS UP PETROL STATION ATTACKS

The Kyiv strike came only a day after what Ukrainian authorities described as the first Russian attack on a petrol station in the capital during the war.
Ukrainian officials say Russia has struck around 300 petrol stations across the country in recent months, with most of the attacks occurring in or near frontline areas.
Petrol stations are important civilian facilities because they provide fuel for private vehicles, emergency services, transport companies and businesses.
Repeated attacks could therefore disrupt both everyday life and the wider supply chain.

FASTER JET-POWERED DRONES

The latest attacks are part of a wider increase in the use of jet-powered drones by Russia.
Unlike many slower propeller-driven drones, jet-powered systems can travel at higher speeds, potentially giving air-defence operators less time to detect and intercept them.
Ukraine says the drones are increasingly being used against logistics centres, warehouses, fuel facilities and other parts of the economic infrastructure supporting the country.
The attacks have increased pressure on Ukraine to strengthen its air-defence systems and develop more effective counter-drone technology.

UKRNAFTA CONDEMNS ATTACK

Bogdan Kukura, chief executive of Ukrainian oil company Ukrnafta, condemned Friday’s strikes.
Ukrnafta owns the petrol station in Kyiv that was hit, as well as another station reportedly targeted on the same morning.
Kukura described the incident as another deliberate strike against civilian facilities and argued that there was no military objective at the locations.
The company has called for greater protection of Ukraine’s energy and fuel infrastructure as Russian attacks continue.

ZELENSKYY CALLS FOR STRONGER AIR DEFENCE

Zelenskyy said Ukraine must focus on protecting its skies and finding new ways to shield civilians from Russian drones.
He also called for increased countermeasures against the weapons as Russia expands its attacks on energy and economic infrastructure.
For Ukraine, the challenge is particularly serious because drones can be launched in large numbers, forcing air-defence systems to respond repeatedly and potentially exhausting limited supplies of interceptors.

RUSSIA DENIES TARGETING CIVILIANS

Russia has not publicly commented on the latest Kyiv strikes.
Moscow has consistently denied deliberately targeting civilians during the war and says its military operations are directed at Ukrainian military and strategic targets.
Ukraine, however, regularly accuses Russia of deliberately attacking civilian infrastructure.
Claims about the purpose of individual strikes can be difficult to independently verify during an ongoing war.

UKRAINE ALSO STRIKES INSIDE RUSSIA

The attacks came as Ukraine continued its own campaign of drone strikes against targets inside Russia.
Russian officials said two people were killed in overnight Ukrainian attacks in the Tula region, while another person was killed in Kursk on Friday.
Tula Governor Dmitry Milyayev said three other people were injured.
Russian authorities have also reported damage to industrial and commercial facilities as Ukraine increasingly targets infrastructure it says supports

Russia’s military campaign.
RUSSIAN LOGISTICS HUB HIT

Ozon, one of Russia’s largest
online retailers, said a Ukrainian drone struck a logistics hub in Saratov, causing a fire.
The incident follows a series of Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian logistics and warehouse facilities.
More than 20 warehouses belonging to Ozon and Wildberries, another major Russian online retailer, have reportedly been hit in recent weeks.
Ukraine has defended such attacks as part of its effort to disrupt Russia’s ability to supply and finance its war effort.

WAR ENTERS NEW PHASE OF INFRASTRUCTURE ATTACKS

With fighting on parts of the eastern front largely stalled, both Russia and Ukraine have increasingly relied on long-range strikes against infrastructure away from the main battlefield.
Fuel depots, oil refineries, warehouses, logistics centres and other economic facilities have become important targets because they support the movement of troops, equipment and supplies.
For civilians, however, attacks on these facilities can have immediate consequences, including deaths, injuries, fires, fuel shortages and disruption to essential services.

CIVILIANS REMAIN AT RISK

The latest deaths in Kyiv underline the continuing danger faced by civilians despite the fighting being concentrated largely in eastern Ukraine.
The use of faster drones and increasingly frequent attacks on urban and commercial infrastructure means areas far from the frontline remain vulnerable.
As both sides expand their long-range drone campaigns, the protection of civilian populations and critical infrastructure remains one of the biggest challenges in the continuing Russia-Ukraine war.