Russia strikes cargo vessels, steel plants across Ukraine

What the report says

Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces struck several industrial sites across Ukraine on Saturday, including the Zaporizhstal steel plant in Zaporizhzhia, the Interpipe Steel complex in Dnipro and plants in Kryvyi Rih. The ministry also said two cargo vessels were hit overnight in the Black Sea port of Chornomorsk, according to Interfax. The reported strikes fit into a broader pattern of attacks on Ukraine’s energy, manufacturing and logistics infrastructure since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022.

The Al Jazeera report also linked the attacks to Ukraine’s own drone campaign against Russian industry. Ukrainian officials said drones hit the Togliattikauchuk plant in Russia’s Samara region, which produces synthetic rubber and fuel additives used in missile fuel, while Russian authorities said they intercepted 230 Ukrainian drones over multiple regions, including Crimea and the Black Sea area. Local officials in Russia reported damage to homes and businesses, and at least one injury in the Samara region.

The latest strikes came amid intensifying attacks on both sides. Al Jazeera reported that Russia recently hit fuel stations in Kyiv, killing and injuring civilians, while Ukraine carried out drone and missile attacks on Russian regions such as Kursk, Belgorod and Volgograd. The exchange underscores how industrial and civilian infrastructure remains central to the war, affecting energy supplies, military production and regional security.