Ukraine stages major strikes as Trump moves nuclear submarines 'closer to Russia'

Evil Vladimir Putin suffered a huge blow after Ukraine launched dramatic strikes on the dictator's oil refineries, defence plants, a military airfield, and radar facilities.

These huge hits came after Donald Trump ordered two nuclear submarines to move closer to Russia after "provocative" threats of war with the US came from Russia's former president Dmitry Medvedev. In a dramatic dawn strike, a huge fireball explosion hit military-linked Novokuybyshevsk oil refinery in Samara region with mushroom-shaped flames rising into the sky.

The plant supplies aviation fuel for Russian combat aircraft which have been used to strike civilians in Ukraine. It comes after NATO scrambled warplanes as Russia shoots down West's F-16 fighter jet in Ukraine onslaught.

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Another key oil refinery in Ryazan - crucial for supplies to capital city Moscow - was also in flames. Fires were reported to have been raging close to a military airfield at Primorsko-Akhtarsk, in Krasnodar region, used for Putin drone strikes on Ukraine.

A “major hit” was reported on a Russian air defence radar company near Feodosia in Putin-occupied Crimea - military unit 66571. There were giant “balls” covering radio-technical stations - one the size of a nine storey building.

Fires were recorded at the facility in the Tepe-Oba mountain range. One woman died in drone strikes on the Electropribor plant in Penza city, making special-purpose telecommunication and cryptographic equipment for Putin’s war machine.

Eight giant explosions were heard over the city followed by flames at the plant which was struck by long range Ukrainian drones. A defence-related radar plant in the city was also hit for the second time in three days, according to reports.

Ukraine also hit targets in Rostov region leading to one death, according to reports. The Ukrainian strikes on military-linked targets were in stark contrast to Putin’s assault on Kyiv on Thursday - one of the worst of the war.

A total of 31 people were killed including five children after Russia slammed a £2 million Iskander missile into a residential tower block in Kyiv. Yet more strikes at civilian homes came overnight with a strike on Balakliia, in Kharkiv region, hitting residential buildings.

Russia also struck a hotel in Sloviansk, Donetsk region, nearby high-rise buildings and a dormitory. One injury was reported. Three people were injured by Russian shelling in Dnipropetrovsk region as civilian infrastructure facilities were destroyed and damaged.

Trump said Putin was a “tough cookie” as he hit out at the Russian dictator’s failure to engage in a peace process, and to go on killing. He vowed to impose tough sanctions on Russia and countries purchasing oil from Moscow if there are no moves to a ceasefire before 8 August, but said there would be meetings before this. “We'll see what happens. We're going to have some meetings,” he said.

On Friday, Trump sent two nuclear submarines “closer to Russia” in response to “highly provocative” statements from ex-president Medvedev, now deputy chairman of the Kremlin’s security council.

"Based on the highly provocative statements of the Former President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, who is now the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, I have ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that," Trump said on Truth Social.

"Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

Medvedev had accused Trump of bringing war closer between Russia and the US. “Every new ultimatum is a threat and a step towards war. Not between Russia and Ukraine, but with his own country,” said Medvedev.