Russia burning as Ukraine launches huge attack – Trump rages over strikes
Story by Rebecca Perring, Ciaran McGrath
• 1h
Daily Express
Russia: Kuibyshev oil refinery ablaze after Ukrainian strike
Ukrainian forces have launched a huge attack on Russia overnight. Dramatic video footage shows huge plumes of black smoke billowing from the Kuibyshev oil refinery in the Russian city of Samara after it was hit by a drone attack.
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“The refinery has a design capacity of around 7 million tonnes of oil per year.
“Explosions were also reported in Tolyatti.”
The refinery lies along the Volga River, around 765 kilometres (475 miles) from the Ukrainian border, highlighting the increasing reach of Kyiv’s long-range drone campaign against targets deep inside Russia.
The Kuibyshev plant can process up to 10,000 metric tonnes of oil a day, or around 73,000 barrels.
The US president put pressure on Mr Zelensky during a phone call before their meeting on the sidelines of the UN general assembly.
He told the Ukrainian leader the attacks were exacerbating a global diesel shortage and causing petrol prices to surge.
Diesel prices, which on Monday hit $6.51 (£4.80) a gallon, up 76 per cent from a year ago, have spiked dramatically since the US and Israel began bombing Iran on Feb 28.
However, limiting Ukraine’s long-range strikes would deny Mr Zelensky one of his most powerful weapons and negotiating tools, and would probably concern Kyiv’s closest allies.
Plumes of smoke rise from fires at an oil refinery on the outskirts of Moscow on Sunday Credit: Reuters
Aramco Oil Facility Attacked By Houthis In Southern Saudi Arabia
The rebels also targetted a desalination plant in Al-Shaqeeq, said the coalition statement, quoted by the Saudi Press Agency.
Huthi rebels launched multiple attacks into southern Saudi Arabia Saturday, including one on a facility run by oil company Aramco in Jizan, the Saudi-led coalition fighting the rebels in Yemen said in a statement.
Quoted by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the coalition said that four drones had been launched into the region, which is regularly targeted by Huthi drone and missile attacks.
There was no loss of life, it said.
As well as the Aramco facility, the rebels also hit a desalination plant in Al-Shaqeeq.
In later statements, the coalition announced that the Dhahran Al-Janoub power station near Jizan had also been attacked — with the SPA posting photos and a video clip showing firefighters tackling a blaze at the site.
The fourth target was a gas station in Khamis Mushait.
The drones were intercepted and destroyed near Yemen after the attacks, with a ballistic missile fired towards the city of Jazan also stopped, the coalition said.
The latest round of attacks comes after an oil refinery in the Saudi capital Riyadh was targeted on March 10 by a drone, an operation claimed by the Huthis.
Earlier this week, the Huthis rejected an invitation from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council to attend talks on the Yemen conflict, to be held in Riyadh from March 29.
Saudi Arabia is leading a military coalition in Yemen in support of the internationally recognized government, which has been engaged in a bloody conflict against the Huthis since mid-2014.
Police are currently arresting over 60 Just Stop Oil supporters outside Parliament, on the same day the UN has reported that the globe is on track for at least 2°C warming in our lifetime. The action takers today are demanding that the UK government stop approving all further oil and gas developments, and sign a Fossil Fuel Treaty to Just Stop Oil. [1] [2]
60 people are blocking the road on Parliament Square, with a significant number glued on. There are a further 40+ people demonstrating in support from the pavement. The Metropolitan Police have begun to make arrests from the group blocking the road. It’s expected that all will be arrested. One lane has been left free of glued-on action takers to permit access for emergency vehicles.
Today’s drastic actions have been taken in resistance to the possibility raised by Andy Burnham of drilling more oil and gas from the North Sea, despite it doing “nothing to lower UK energy bills or strengthen energy security”. Holding banners which read ‘FOR FUCK’S SAKE, JUST STOP OIL’, the action takers took to the road in Parliament Square at the strike of 12 from Big Ben. They are blocking Andy Burnham’s first Prime Minister’s Questions. [3]
Trish Fitzmaurice, a mother from Norfolk, is one of those arrested on the road today. She said:
“Andy Burnham, we are crying out for leadership! The climate crisis is the biggest threat humanity has ever faced. We are destroying our only home by burning fossil fuels. Oil and gas mean death.”
Within 30 minutes, police officers were on the scene and began to make arrests, carrying the nonviolent action takers into nearby police vans. At the same time, a crowd of supporters stood nearby, holding banners and placards which altnerately read ‘For Future’s/ Food’s/ Our Children’s Sake, Just Stop Oil!’. Events are still unfolding.
Data from the Met Office indicates that 2026 was the hottest summer in UK recorded history, beating 2025 which was the previous hottest summer on record. 2026 was also one of the driest summers on record, delivering record-low food harvests. Climbing temperatures have triggered devastating wildfires across the country. National fire chiefs said the wildfire risk facing the UK ”is like nothing we have seen before”. [4] [5] [6]
Sam Burgess, 26, a student from Lancaster is one of those on the road today. She said:
“More oil is a death sentence: the unprecedented heatwaves killed over 35,000 extra people in Europe this summer. I’m not going to sit by and wait for this figure to include someone I love. The government must start protecting its citizens and Just Stop Oil.”
A recent viral article in the Metro asked “Where have all the climate activists gone?”, in light of the deadly droughts, wildfires, and heatwaves which have been pummelling the UK and Europe. Answering its own question, it concluded that direct action campaigns like Just Stop Oil were successful in their goals. Indeed, Just Stop Oil’s call for the end of new oil and gas licensing was met. However, with Andy Burnham and Miattah Fanbulleh potentially flaking on their commitments to climate action now in power, the urgency of climate catastrophe is still pressing, making it essential that all oil and gas extraction is ended. [7]
The imminent 2°C minimum of warming predicted today by the UN would create global weather system collapse, triggering never-before-seen droughts, wildfires, and floods in every inhabited continent. Going further, The German Physics Society and the German Meteorological Society have predicted a 3°C average temperature rise, triggering mass global starvation and irreversible flooding of major cities. [8] [9]
As action taker Reverend Bill White, 72, a priest from Macclesfield, said today:
“Over 80% of people want the government to take more action. It’s time for us all to say ‘For God’s sake, Just Stop Oil!’”
A Just Stop Oil spokesperson said today:
“We are all Just Stop Oil. Every single person who fears deadly wildfires, devastating droughts, and spiralling food shortages is Just Stop Oil. The first duty of government is to keep the public safe – but by greenlighting oil and gas drilling, they endangeroursurvival while corporates and billionaires laughtheirway to the bank”
“Every one of us feels alone and powerless in the face of this insanity but we know there is massive political and public support for our demand. So we’re inviting everyone to join us at an online call on 3rd October 2026 – because it’s when we work together that we are powerful and win. Sign up atwww.juststopoil.org”. [7]
In 2024 Just Stop Oil successfully won its original demand of ‘no new oil and gas’. But we all know that it’s not enough. We need to end all fossil fuels completely to have any hope of heading off the horror that our heating world will bring. With fascist and authoritarian forces on the rise everywhere, our democracy is under threat. We are all Just Stop Oil now – what will you do?
Retired, living in the Scottish Borders after living most of my life in cities in England. I can now indulge my interest in all aspects of living close to nature in a wild landscape. I live on what was once the Iapetus Ocean which took millions of years to travel from the Southern Hemisphere to here in the Northern Hemisphere. That set me thinking and questioning and seeking answers.
In 1998 I co-wrote Millennium Countdown (US)/ A Business Guide to the Year 2000 (UK) see https://www.abebooks.co.uk/products/isbn/9780749427917
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