Ukraine strikes Russian oil hub as Russia claims Kharkiv gains

Ukrainian forces struck a key Russian oil dispatch station in Samara Oblast on Saturday, while Russia said that its troops captured two settlements in the Kharkiv region.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said that it targeted the Samara facility for the second time in a week, with the specific damage still being assessed.

The station is a critical hub in Russia's Urals crude export system, receiving, storing and blending crude of varying quality into a uniform grade for distribution to domestic refineries or export terminals.

Ukraine said the facility also supports Russian military operations. The facility previously suffered extensive damage on Oct 7, when an earlier Ukrainian attack destroyed four storage tanks and ignited a massive blaze.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday that Ukraine will continue launching long-range strikes in response to Russian attacks. Russia has not yet responded.

The latest strikes drew a sharp rebuke from U.S. President Donald Trump, who said Saturday that he had previously warned Zelensky against hitting Russian refineries and said that the Ukrainian leader "had better stop right away."

Insisting that such attacks exacerbate global fuel shortages and drive up U.S. diesel prices, Trump went further to say that "Ukraine should get a new president," implying that Zelensky has failed to do enough to end the conflict.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine also said that Ukrainian forces destroyed substantial Russian military equipment, including tanks, artillery systems, and air defense systems.

Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported battlefield advances, saying Russian forces took control of the settlements of Lukashovo and Lobanovka in the Kharkiv region.

Russia also said it struck energy infrastructure used by Ukraine's military-industrial complex, drone manufacturing workshops and storage sites, as well as temporary deployment areas for Ukrainian troops and foreign mercenaries.

Russian forces also shot down two U.S.-made HIMARS rockets and 725 fixed-wing drones.

China opened 15 new international air cargo routes in September, adding 42 round-trip flights per week, the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing (CFLP)’s air logistics division said on Sunday.

The newly launched routes included nine to Asia, four to Europe, and two to North America.

The cargo transported on the routes mainly included cross-border e-commerce goods, fresh food and agricultural products, electromechanical and electronic products, high-end manufactured goods, and consumer goods for daily use.

The flights are operated by nine airlines, eight of which are Chinese carriers.

According to CFLP’s air logistics division, China had opened a total of 130 new international air cargo routes as of September 30 this year, adding more than 334 round-trip flights per week.