Ukrainian forces have launched a fresh wave of drone strikes against a key Russian oil refinery and Black Sea port infrastructure, as Moscow intensifies attacks on Ukrainian grain export hubs, threatening global food supplies.
Wave of Strikes on Energy and Food Infrastructure
On Wednesday, a Ukrainian drone attack damaged port infrastructure and a gas pipeline at Russia's Black Sea port of Tuapse, according to the regional administration. No casualties were reported. The Tuapse refinery is a crucial outlet for Russian oil products, which Kyiv targets because the exports help finance the war or directly fuel the Russian military. This facility has been hit repeatedly in previous Ukrainian drone assaults.
Simultaneously, Russia launched its own waves of drones against Ukrainian ports on Tuesday. The attacks targeted the Black Sea ports of Pivdennyi and Chornomorsk. Two civilian vessels, the Panama-flagged Emmakris III and Captain Karam, were struck as they arrived to load wheat, the Ukrainian navy reported.
The navy condemned the assaults, stating they "threaten the lives of civilians and undermine global food security", labelling targeted strikes on civilian objects a deliberate war crime. Ukraine is a major global agricultural exporter. Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba confirmed oil storage tanks were also hit but said both ports continued to operate.
Diplomatic Moves and Disputed Claims
Amid the escalating attacks, diplomatic efforts to end the conflict are gaining pace. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that leaders of Kyiv's allies will meet next Tuesday, 6 January, in France. This summit will be preceded by a meeting of their security advisers in Ukraine on Saturday, 3 January.
A French presidential source stated that Russia's intensifying strikes represent "an act of defiance" against US plans to end the war. The same source also addressed Moscow's allegations of a Ukrainian drone attack on a residence of Vladimir Putin in Valdai, stating the claims are not backed by "any solid proof".
President Zelenskyy corroborated this, revealing that after discussions with American officials, it was understood the alleged attack was fake. "Our partners can always verify thanks to their technical capabilities that it was fake," he said.
Legal and Financial Developments
In separate legal news, German prosecutors disclosed on Tuesday that Germany accepted €10 million to drop its investigation into Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov for alleged EU sanctions violations. Prosecutors said the agreement was based on the presumption of innocence. Usmanov, a close ally of Putin, had been accused of using frozen funds to pay for property security in Germany. A separate money laundering case in Frankfurt was settled in November after Usmanov paid €4 million.
Meanwhile, the US Treasury removed sanctions from Alexandra Buriko, the former chief financial officer of Russia's state-owned Sberbank. Buriko, who resigned after the 2022 invasion, had gone to court in December 2024 seeking the sanctions' removal, arguing she had severed ties with the bank.
