A Ukrainian drone strike on the city of Nizhnekamsk in Russia's Tatarstan region left 12 people dead and 39 injured, according to Russian authorities. The city, located roughly 1,000 kilometres inside Russian territory, is home to a major oil refinery that has repeatedly come under fire from Kyiv's forces, including an earlier strike in June 2026. Russia's defence ministry said it downed 456 Ukrainian drones overnight but did not disclose how many managed to reach their intended targets.
Officials and news agencies described the assault as among the deadliest launched by Kyiv since Russia's full-scale invasion began in 2022. The strike forms part of a broader Ukrainian campaign against Russia's energy infrastructure, a pattern also seen in earlier attacks reported in our coverage of Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries earlier this month and a separate report on Ukrainian strikes on two refineries and Black Sea vessels.
Why is Ukraine targeting Russian oil refineries?
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his nightly address on Sunday 9 August 2026 that the continued strikes on refining facilities were intended to increase pressure on Moscow to end the war.
“The only reason this is still continuing is Russia's unwillingness to end this war,” Zelenskyy said.
How does this attack compare with previous strikes on Russian refineries?
The Nizhnekamsk strike is the latest in a sustained series of long-range Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia's energy sector throughout the summer of 2026. According to CNBC, Ukraine's armed forces struck the Bashneft-Novoil refinery in Bashkortostan and the Slavneft-Yanos refinery in Yaroslavl earlier this month, with Yaroslavl's governor Mikhail Evraev saying the region faced its largest-ever drone attack, with 93 drones destroyed. Separately, Al Jazeera reported that a strike on the Saratov refinery and the Engels airbase sparked fires, while Ukraine's military said it also hit an oil depot in Kaluga.
Other recent strikes have pushed the limits of Ukraine's reach inside Russian territory. reported that the Omsk refinery, roughly 2,700 kilometres from Ukrainian-held territory, was struck on 6 July 2026 in one of the war's longest-range attacks, with regional governor Vitaly Khotsenko saying there were no casualties. A separate report said a drone attack on the Perm refinery caused a fire that damaged and shut down one crude distillation unit, while further strikes on 29 July 2026 hit three refineries including facilities in Perm and Ryazan, according to . Citing a Bloomberg tally, The Moscow Times reported that 18 Russian refineries were targeted in July 2026 alone, based on Russian and Ukrainian statements.
What happened in Ukraine's Kharkiv region?
At least five people were killed after Russian forces carried out an artillery strike on the village of Bugaivka in the Chuguiv district of Kharkiv region, the regional prosecutor's office said on 10 August 2026.
“On 10 August, Russian forces carried out a massive artillery strike on the residential area of the village of Bugaivka in the Chuguiv district. Various houses were destroyed as a result of the enemy attack. Five people were killed,” the prosecutor's office said in a statement on Telegram, cited by AFP.
What is behind the border dispute between Spain and Italy?
Separately, tension has flared between Madrid and Rome after Spain reintroduced border checks on visitors arriving from Italy, in response to Italy imposing similar measures following a mass crossing of people from Morocco into Ceuta. Italian officials reacted with frustration, with the country's foreign minister calling the Spanish move “completely unacceptable” as tourists faced delays at border crossings.
Key Facts
- A Ukrainian drone strike on Nizhnekamsk in Tatarstan killed 12 people and injured 39 on 10 August 2026.
- Russia said it intercepted 456 Ukrainian drones overnight but did not confirm how many reached their targets.
- According to Bloomberg's tally reported by The Moscow Times, 18 Russian refineries were struck in July 2026 alone.
- At least five people died in a Russian artillery strike on Bugaivka in Ukraine's Kharkiv region on 10 August 2026.
- Spain and Italy are in a diplomatic dispute over reinstated border checks tied to migration from Morocco into Ceuta.
