Ukraine strikes Russian logistics as EU battles over oil price cap
Kyiv is escalating deep strikes into Russian supply chains while Brussels fights to close loopholes in its energy sanctions, highlighting the dual economic and military pressures shaping the conflict.
Ukraine has escalated its deep-strike campaign by targeting two major logistics warehouses belonging to the Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated the facilities in the Krasnodar and Stavropol regions were supplying drone components to the Russian military.
Tatyana Kim, the co-founder and head of Wildberries, confirmed the attacks in Krasnodar and Nevinnomyssk. A young woman was killed and three others hospitalized in Krasnodar. The strikes have prompted the Russian e-commerce lobby group Aurek to request a six-month tax payment delay for businesses suffering losses.
In Brussels, the European Union is wrestling with internal divisions over its next round of sanctions aimed at curbing Moscow’s fossil fuel revenues. Greece is blocking the package, demanding permission for one of its companies to continue transporting liquefied natural gas from Russia’s Arctic Yamal facility to non-EU clients.
To bypass these hurdles, the 27 member states agreed to a temporary one-week compromise maintaining the Russian oil price cap at $44. Brussels wants to lock in this cap for several months to prevent Moscow from profiting off price spikes driven by the Middle East conflict. Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat, confirmed forces boarded the MV South Star oil tanker to target Russia’s shadow fleet.
On the military front, Ukraine’s new top commander, Mykhailo Drapatyi, announced he has been ordered to intensify offensive operations and plan new missions behind enemy lines. His appointment has broadly stabilized Kyiv's political mood, though Zelenskyy faces mounting pressure to reinstate former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
Protesters are organizing a demonstration outside the presidential office, pushing the political crisis into a second week. Simultaneously, Zelenskyy is navigating complex diplomatic channels, holding talks with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, and meeting US Nato ambassador Matthew Whitaker to secure production licences for Patriot air defence systems. “I am, frankly, asking for faster action and greater support,” Zelenskyy said regarding the defence production.
