Ukraine launches 'massive attack' as Russia rocked by explosions and train derailments

By Express - MATTHEW DOOLEY - 09:13, May 19, 2024

Moscow claimed to have shot down 60 drones and several US-provided missiles it said Ukraine launched at the Crimean Peninsula and bordering Russian regions.

Russia's Defence Ministry claimed to have repelled a massive drone and missile attack carried out by Ukraine overnight.

Moscow said it had destroyed nine US-provided ATACM missiles over Crimea as well as dozens of drones over Belgorod Oblast and Krasnodar Krai in Russia.

At least six drones were believed to have hit an an oil refinery in Slavyansk in Russia's southern Krasnodar region with the Russian news agency Interfax claiming that the refinery halted work following the attack.

Video shared on Russian social media appeared to show a massive fire at another oil refinery in Vyborg just 24 miles from NATO's border with Finland.

Leningrad regional governor Alexander Drozdenko denied that a Ukrainian drone hit the facility which is some 620 miles away from Ukraine.

There were unconfirmed reports that a military airfield in Kushchevskaya was attacked as well as a ship which was damaged and towed to the Crimean port of Sevastopol.

A cargo train was also derailed in an unexplained incident on the Trans-Siberian rail network in Krasnoyarsk region. At least five wagons could be seen derailed and managed in images shared on Russian social media.

In the past, Ukraine has targeted trains used to transport arms and materiel to the front lines. It's unclear whether Ukraine was involved in this incident but an investigation has been launched by Russia.

DON'T MISS: Putin's puppet vows Russia will capture two NATO capitals as WW3 fears explode

A cargo train in Siberia was also derailed, although it's unclear if Ukraine was involved. (Image: east2west)

In Ukraine, air force officials said air defence shot down all 37 Russian drones launched against the country overnight.

In the northeastern Kharkiv region, where Moscow recently launched a new offensive, regional Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said Sunday morning that one person died and 11 were wounded as a result of shelling over the previous day.

Ukrainian troops are fighting to halt Russian advances in the Kharkiv region that began late last week.

Zelensky nightmare as Ukraine army faces being cut off after Russia takes key village. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday during a visit to China that Moscow’s offensive in the Kharkiv region aims to create a buffer zone but that there are no plans to capture the city.