Russia said on Sunday that its forces had seized another settlement in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, while Ukraine, on the same day, reported striking multiple Russian energy facilities.
The Russian Defense Ministry said in its latest report that over the past 24 hours, the Russian forces took control of the village of Varvarovka in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region.
Russian troops also carried out strikes against Ukraine's energy and transportation infrastructure and drone launch sites, as well as temporary deployment locations of the Ukrainian armed forces and foreign mercenaries, the ministry said.
A total of 290 Ukrainian drones were shot down by the Russian side, it added.
Also on Sunday, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that its troops struck the Afipsky oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Krai to weaken Russia's offensive potential and disrupt its logistical supply. The targeted area exploded and caught fire, with the extent of damage still being verified.
Furthermore, the Ukrainian forces also attacked the Uryupinsk oil depot in Russia's Volgograd Oblast, the Ukrainian side said.
In another development, the European Union (EU) on Friday announced that it would indefinitely freeze Russian assets to facilitate the use of those funds for Ukraine's financial and military needs.
This move bypasses the previous requirement for unanimous approval from all EU members to extend asset freezes. At an upcoming EU Summit on Thursday, European leaders will discuss using the frozen assets as collateral for "reparation loans" to Ukraine.
However, the move has triggered concerns and opposition among EU members.
Some countries such Italy and Belgium are worried that using these frozen Russian assets could lead to profound consequences, hoping the bloc will take a less risky alternative.
Since the start of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine in 2022, Western countries have frozen approximately 300 billion U.S. dollars of Russian sovereign assets. Some 210 billion euros (about 246 billion U.S. dollars) of this sum is held in the EU, primarily in accounts at Belgium-based Euroclear, one of the world's largest settlement and clearing systems.
In response, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova on Saturday condemned the EU's action as a serious violation of international law, saying that any freezing or confiscation of Russia's sovereign assets constitutes illegal disposal without Moscow's consent.
She emphasized that Russia will take swift retaliatory measures against it.
Russia captures one more settlement in Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine strikes Russian energy facilities
