Day 39: Russia destroys Ukraine's oil refinery, storage units near Odessa

Russia's defense ministry says its sea and air missiles have destroyed an oil refinery and three fuel storage facilities near Ukraine’s southern port city of Odessa.

The facilities, it said Sunday, were used by Ukraine to supply its troops near the city of Mykolaiv.

“This morning, high-precision sea and air-based missiles destroyed an oil refinery and three storage facilities for fuel and lubricants near the city of Odessa, from which fuel was supplied to a group of Ukrainian troops in the direction of Mykolaiv,” it said.

The strikes completely destroyed Kremenchug oil refinery, governor of Poltava region Dmytro Lunin said on television.

“The fire at the refinery has been extinguished but the facility has been completely destroyed and can no longer function,” Lunin said.

In a post on his Telegram channel, Ukrainian military official Vladislav Nazarov said there were no casualties. 

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday warned Russia was consolidating and preparing “powerful strikes” in the south, joining a chorus of Western assessments that Moscow’s troops were regrouping.

He also said Ukrainian forces had regained control over communities in Kiev and Chernihiv.

Ukraine says its troops have retaken control of Kiev region as Russians retreat

Ukraine says its troops have regained control of "the whole Kiev region" after Russian forces retreated from some key towns near the Ukrainian capital.

The general staff of the Ukrainian armed forces earlier said the intensity of Russian air and missile strikes had diminished, adding that Moscow continued to withdraw units through the north of Ukraine.

As Russia withdraws from some northern areas, it appears to be focusing on eastern and southern parts of Ukraine, where it already holds vast swathes of territory, according to reports.

The two sides held talks in Istanbul last week, after which Russia said it would significantly reduce military operations near Kiev and Chernihiv to promote trust.

Since President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” on Ukraine on February 24, Russian forces have attacked Ukraine’s southern ports including Kherson, Odessa, Mykolaiv and Mariupol.

They try to cut Ukraine off from the Black Sea and establish a land corridor from Russia to Crimea, the peninsula Russia seized in 2014.

EU chief vows more sanctions 

EU chief Charles Michel on Sunday pledged further sanctions on Moscow as he condemned what he called "atrocities" allegedly carried out by Russian forces outside Kiev.

"Shocked by haunting images of atrocities committed by Russian army in Kyiv liberated region #BuchaMassacre," European Council head Michel wrote on Twitter. 

"EU is assisting Ukraine & NGO's in gathering of necessary evidence for pursuit in international courts."

Britain's foreign minister said Russia's attacks on civilians must be investigated as war crimes.

Ukraine's deputy prime minister Iryna Vereshchuk said 11 local community leaders in Ukraine had been kidnapped by Russian forces.

Dmitry Medvedev, deputy secretary of the country's Security Council and former president, said Russia will only export food and crops to "friendly countries" in rubles or in their national currencies.

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