Ukrainian Drones Hit Russian Energy Targets, Trump Clears Path for Patriot Manufacturing

Ukraine intensified its campaign against Russian energy infrastructure on Thursday, launching drone strikes on multiple oil facilities and setting two oil tankers ablaze in the Sea of Azov , even as US President Donald Trump agreed in principle to allow Kyiv to manufacture Patriot air defence systems domestically.

Ukrainian authorities said drones struck oil depots in Tver , Stavropol , Ufa , and an oil-loading terminal in the Rostov region, extending Kyiv's long-range attacks aimed at disrupting Russia's fuel supplies. Moscow claimed its air defences intercepted 73 Ukrainian drones , while Ukraine reported fresh Russian drone and ballistic missile strikes that damaged multiple locations across the country.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the attacks as part of Ukraine's strategy of applying " long-range sanctions " on Russia, saying Moscow should feel the consequences of continuing the war.

The military developments came as Trump confirmed that Washington would provide Ukraine with a license to produce Patriot interceptor missiles , marking a significant step in defence cooperation. Zelenskyy welcomed the decision, saying the agreement had been reached at the political level, while technical discussions between both governments would determine the timeline for production.

However, Ukrainian defence officials cautioned that domestic manufacturing is unlikely to begin immediately. Experts estimate it could take 12 to 24 months to produce Patriot interceptors due to complex supply chains and limited availability of critical components from Western manufacturers.

The Kremlin criticised the Patriot licensing decision, calling the US stance "ambivalent" but maintaining that it appreciated Washington's efforts to facilitate peace talks. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that continued Ukrainian strikes inside Russia would prompt Moscow to expand its proposed security buffer zone in Ukraine, arguing that military escalation would only prolong the conflict.