A previous Russian attack targeting the Ukrainian capital, Kiev (French)

Ukrainian officials said that Russia carried out an air attack on the capital, Kiev, early on Sunday, and that Ukrainian air defense systems participated in repelling the attack, while Moscow shot down dozens of Ukrainian drones that attacked the port of Sevastopol in the Ukrainian Crimean Peninsula.

The city's mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said via the Telegram messaging application that explosions rang out in the capital after the military administration in the region said that air defense systems participated in repelling the attack.

Reuters witnesses heard several explosions and saw some weapons being dropped from the air.

The Russian army also targeted the city of Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine, and Ukrainian media reports stated that several missiles fell on the city throughout the day, killing at least one person.

The Ukrainian army announced that Russian forces launched 106 air strikes and fired 99 missiles at Ukrainian sites and residential areas during the past 24 hours, and Ukrainian forces shot down 18 missiles and 25 drones last night.

For its part, the Polish army announced that a Russian missile was fired at towns in western Ukraine, violating Polish airspace for 40 seconds.

On the other hand, on Saturday evening, Russian air defenses shot down more than 10 missiles and several drones, while Kiev launched drones and missiles to attack the Russian seaport of Sevastopol in the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea, which is occupied by Moscow, according to what was reported by the Russian TASS agency.

Mikhail Razvozaev, the Russian-appointed governor of Sevastopol, reported that a woman was injured by shrapnel, and an administrative building and a gas line were damaged.

The region's transport department said that sea and land transport between the Russian mainland and the Crimean Peninsula was suspended for several hours.

It is noteworthy that the Crimean Peninsula is a Ukrainian region on the Black Sea, which Moscow illegally annexed in 2014.

Reports were transmitted on social media indicating severe explosions in the port of Sevastopol and the possibility of hitting a ship anchored there, but this could not be independently verified.

In recent weeks, the Ukrainian secret services have systematically targeted Russian oil refineries with combat drones (Reuters)

Targeting Russian refineries

Earlier, a Russian oil refinery caught fire in the Samara region on the Volga River, TASS reported, citing local governor Dmitry Azarov.

The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that a total of 12 drones were destroyed over the Bryansk, Belgorod, Voronezh, and Saratov regions. In addition, 11 missiles were destroyed over the Belgorod border region.

The authorities reported that two oil refineries in the Samara region were attacked by drones, without causing any casualties.

In recent weeks, the Ukrainian secret services have systematically targeted Russian oil refineries with combat drones, even behind the front line.

The Financial Times reported on Friday that the United States wants to prevent Ukraine from attacking Russian oil facilities, to avoid escalation and a rise in global oil prices, in light of the upcoming US presidential elections scheduled for next November.

Russia has long shot down drones over the Saratov region, and Moscow has deployed strategic bombers there, which it uses in missile attacks on Ukraine.

It was not clear whether Russia had shot down all the drones, as Moscow often only announces the successes of its air defense in the case of Ukrainian drone attacks.

Ukraine also frequently bombs Russian territory, both in the border region and in remote areas.

Source: Al Jazeera + agencies