Ukrainian forces have carried out a high-impact operation deep inside Russian territory, hitting a major fuel pipeline near Moscow that supplies the Russian army, Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) announced on Saturday.
According to HUR, the strike took place late Friday and was described as a “serious blow to Russia’s military logistics.” The targeted Koltsevoy pipeline, which stretches 400 kilometers (250 miles), supplies gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel from refineries in Ryazan, Nizhny Novgorod, and Moscow directly to the Russian armed forces.
The attack, carried out near the Ramensky district, destroyed all three fuel lines, HUR reported. The pipeline had the capacity to transport up to 3 million tons of jet fuel, 2.8 million tons of diesel, and 1.6 million tons of gasoline annually.
“Our strikes have had more impact than sanctions,”
said Kyrylo Budanov, head of HUR, referring to the ongoing international sanctions against Moscow.
Fierce Battles in Eastern Ukraine
Meanwhile, Russia’s defense ministry claimed on Saturday that its troops had defeated a Ukrainian special forces unit in Pokrovsk, a key front-line city in the eastern Donetsk region.
The ministry released videos purportedly showing two captured Ukrainian soldiers, though their authenticity could not be independently verified, and Kyiv has not commented on the claims.
Both sides have presented conflicting reports on the situation in Pokrovsk. Russian President Vladimir Putin recently claimed that his troops had encircled the city, but Ukraine’s army chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, rejected this, stating that while the situation is “the hardest”, Ukrainian forces are still holding and counterattacking.
“A comprehensive operation to destroy and push out enemy forces from Pokrovsk is ongoing,”
Syrskyi said, highlighting the crucial role of UAV operators and assault units.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that some Russian units had infiltrated the city, but emphasized that Ukrainian forces are actively clearing them out.
He also noted that Russia has deployed around 170,000 troops in the Donetsk region in a major push to seize Pokrovsk and score a symbolic victory.
Russia’s Nighttime Attacks Continue
Elsewhere, Russian missile strikes killed one civilian and injured 15, including a child, in the Mykolaiv region early Saturday, local official Vitaliy Kim said. The attack, carried out using an Iskander ballistic missile, caused extensive damage.
In the Poltava region, a separate Russian strike ignited a fire at a gas plant, Ukraine’s emergency services reported.
According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Moscow launched 223 drones overnight, of which 206 were shot down. However, 17 drones struck targets across seven regions, causing new damage to Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Kyiv described the continuing strikes as “systematic energy terror.”
Meanwhile, Russia claimed to have intercepted 98 Ukrainian drones, including six near Moscow, with no reported casualties.
A War of Attrition Intensifies
As the war grinds into its fourth winter, Putin appears intent on demonstrating military dominance while resisting U.S. pressure for peace talks. Moscow’s goal remains the complete occupation of the Donbas region, though Kyiv still controls around 10% of the industrial and coal-rich area.
The strike on the Koltsevoy fuel pipeline underscores Ukraine’s growing ability to hit critical infrastructure inside Russia, dealing strategic damage to Moscow’s war effort and raising the stakes in the conflict.
