Ukrainian drones strike Russian oil facilities, set tankers ablaze as war tensions escalate further

Ukrainian drones struck several Russian oil facilities and set two oil tankers on fire in the Sea of Azov on Thursday escalating Kyivrsquos campaign against Moscowrsquos energy infrastructure The attacks came a day after US President Donald Trump pledged to grant Ukraine a license to manufacture Patriot air defence systems to strengthen protection against Russian strikesA senior Ukrainian official however said it could take a year or more before Ukraine begins producing Patriot interceptor missiles domestically due to technical and manufacturing challengesThe Kremlin said the proposed license agreement reflected what it described as Washingtonrsquos ldquoambivalencerdquo but added that it appreciated Trumprsquos efforts to push for negotiations aimed at ending the war which began more than four years agoDrone attacks spark fires at oil depots and tankersUkrainersquos strikes on Russian refineries and energy sites have intensified in recent months contributing to fuel shortages rationing and long queues at fuel stations in several Russian regions Moscow has responded by increasing attacks on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities highlighting Ukrainersquos need for stronger air defence systemsUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the latest attacks as part of Kyivrsquos campaign of ldquolongrange sanctionsrdquo in response to Russiarsquos refusal to stop the warWe have long proposed that Russia end this war and every day of delay should bring the feeling of war to where it all began to Russia Zelenskyy saidA Ukrainian drone strike caused a fire at an oil depot in the western Russian city of Tver according to acting Governor Vitaly Korolyov Officials said oil reservoirs were also set ablaze by drones in Vyazniki in the southern Stavropol region prompting the evacuation of nearby residential buildingsIn the Sea of Azov two oil tankers caught fire following Ukrainian drone attacks Rostov Governor Yuri Slusar said He added that one vessel continued to burn after its crew was evacuatedUkraine faces long wait for Patriot missile productionDuring his meeting with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Turkiye Trump said the US would allow Ukraine to manufacture Patriot air defence systems He also praised Zelenskyy for doing an amazing jobHowever Serhii Beskrestnov an adviser to Ukrainersquos defence minister said establishing domestic production of the systems could take several monthsHe said a production license would typically include technical documents specialist training supplier details and support from foreign experts to help begin manufacturingThe biggest challenge would be the timeline rather than Ukrainersquos capability he added Some key components could take 12 to 24 months to produce due to limited global manufacturing capacityAmerica has recognised Ukraine as a country that is ready to do this Zelenskyy said Thursday answering reporters questions on WhatsApp Now after our agreement with the president our teams our diplomats the foreign ministries and defense ministries need to agree on all the remaining technical details The sooner we reach those agreements the sooner we will be able to produce PatriotsKremlin says pressure will not speed up peace talksReacting to Trumprsquos remarks on Patriot production Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow was aware of continued US military assistance to Ukraine but recognised Washingtonrsquos stated intention to support peace effortsThe US position is somewhat ambivalent Peskov said in a call with reporters Still unlike the Europeans the United States maintains a desire to facilitate a move toward a peace process They may be misguided or mistaken at times but we see that desire as sincere We welcome it and we hope that once the Americans manage to resolve the situation regarding Iran despite the significant complications involved their efforts on the Ukrainian track will resumePeskov rejected suggestions that Ukrainian strikes inside Russia could accelerate negotiations arguing that further attacks would only expand Moscowrsquos military objectivesItrsquos a mistake to think that escalation and military pressure could pave the way to a peaceful settlement he said Further escalation may prolong the special military operation we canrsquot say precisely to what extent but it will force us to create a larger security zone a larger buffer zoneRussia and Ukraine remain divided over security guaranteesUkraine continues to seek security guarantees from the US and its allies as part of any future peace agreement including possible NATO involvement Russia has repeatedly opposed any NATO military presence in UkraineAsked whether he would consider a nofly zone over Ukraine as part of security guarantees Trump said if itrsquos necessary yeah but added that such steps might not be required if an agreement is reachedWhen we have a deal wersquore going to have a deal security guarantee or no security guarantee Trump saidPeskov warned that any NATObacked nofly zone would be seen by Moscow as direct military involvement He added that President Vladimir Putin remained open to dialogue and was ready for another conversation with TrumpWith inputs from Associated Press