Ukraine-Russia war latest: Kyiv drone strike sparks fire at Russia petrochemical plant

Ukrainian forces struck the a petrochemical plant and an oil refining facility in Russia's Tatarstan region overnight, Kyiv said on Sunday. A strike hit the Nizhnekamskneftekhim plant, a major producer of rubbers and plastics, Ukraine’s general staff said in a statement.It added ⁠that the Monolit defence and aviation manufacturing plant in the western Bryansk ‌region, which produces ​helicopters ‌and spare ⁠parts, had ⁠also been attacked.It comes after Volodymyr Zelensky has accused SpaceX of hampering Ukraine’s defences by maintaining speed restrictions on its Starshield satellite terminals in Russian-occupied territory.The limits, which Ukraine says have been in place for five days, are making it harder for its forces to intercept Russian jet-powered drones before they reach Ukrainian cities. Zelensky dismissed the company's explanation that the restrictions were caused by a “technical issue”, telling reporters on Saturday: “We do not believe that is the case.” He warned that limiting the service in occupied territory carried political implications, adding: “If you impose restrictions there, you are already partially recognising the temporarily occupied territories as not ours.” SpaceX has denied imposing restrictions or changing its satellite operations. Poland pauses funding for US weapons for UkrainePoland will not make further contributions to a Nato-coordinated scheme funding US weapons for Ukraine, with prime minister Donald Tusk citing the country’s own defence spending and a high budget deficit.Tusk said he had informed Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte that Warsaw would not allocate additional money to the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) programme for the time being. The scheme allows European allies and Canada to pool funds to buy American weapons and ammunition for Kyiv.Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk, arrives for a meeting of the EU Council at the Convention Centre Dublin (PA)“We have helped and continue to help Ukraine in a very substantial way,” Tusk said, adding that Poland had to prioritise its own security needs, which he described as among the highest in Europe.Warsaw has contributed $100m to PURL so far.Shahana Yasmin15 November 2026 11:30YouTube blocks 16 Russian channels in UkraineYouTube has blocked 16 Russian channels in Ukraine, including accounts belonging to pro-war bloggers, performers, and several foreign-language versions of the children’s cartoon Masha and the Bear.The restrictions, announced by Ukraine’s Centre for Countering Disinformation on Friday, affect Russian war correspondent Alexander Sladkov and blogger Sergei Kolyasnikov, known as Zergulio, as well as singers Nadezhda Babkina, Yulia Savicheva and Victoria Daineko, and the band Uma2rman, according to The Kyiv Independent.(Dailymotion)The latest blocks extend restrictions imposed in August on channels associated with Masha and the Bear, whose producers were accused by Kyiv of promoting pro-Russian narratives.The measures apply only in Ukraine, not worldwide.Shahana Yasmin15 November 2026 10:30Trump has put profit before peace in Ukraine – and Putin is the only winnerAmerica’s approach to peace in Ukraine is beset with double standards and hypocrisy, writes Keir Giles. Hesitation and weakness will be seized upon by Russia – making the situation worse, not betterShahana Yasmin15 November 2026 09:30Fire breaks out at industrial facility in Russia after reported drone attackA large fire broke out at an industrial facility in Nizhnekamsk, in Russia’s Tatarstan region, overnight on Saturday, amid reports of a Ukrainian drone attack on the city’s industrial zone.Residents reported seeing drones and an attack on one of the facilities, while footage shared by Osint showed a large blaze with several fires burning across the industrial area. The Telegram channel Exilenova+ identified the SIBUR-owned Nizhnekamskneftekhim petrochemical complex as a likely target.The plant, around 1,200km from Ukraine, produces synthetic rubber, plastics and other petrochemical products.Shahana Yasmin15 November 2026 08:30Russia says it struck cargo ship at Ukraine’s Chornomorsk portRussia has claimed that its forces struck a cargo vessel and port infrastructure in Chornomorsk, in Ukraine’s Odesa region, on Saturday.The Russian defence ministry said the vessel was being used to transport supplies for the Ukrainian military and that facilities used to unload military cargo had also been hit, according to state news agency RIA Novosti.Shahana Yasmin15 November 2026 07:30Zelensky says US asked if Ukraine would give up Donbas for Nato membershipUS negotiators have asked whether Ukraine would withdraw from the eastern Donbas region in exchange for joining Nato, president Zelensky has said.“The Americans raised a question: ‘What if Ukraine joins Nato? Would Ukraine withdraw from Donbas?’ This was the first time this had been raised,” Zelensky told reporters on Saturday.He insisted Kyiv was not prepared to surrender its territory, but said he would put the question to a national referendum if Ukraine received a comprehensive security package, including firm guarantees, a strong and properly funded military, and money for reconstruction.Zelensky said the proposal meant Nato membership was “back on the agenda”, but acknowledged that reaching an agreement would be difficult given Vladimir Putin’s opposition to Ukraine joining the alliance.Shahana Yasmin15 November 2026 06:30Zelensky says five-day Starshield restrictions are hampering Ukraine's defencesVolodymyr Zelensky has accused SpaceX of maintaining speed restrictions on Starshield, its military-focused satellite communications system, saying they are leaving Ukrainian forces less able to intercept Russian drones.The restrictions have been in place for five days, with terminals in Russian-occupied territory capped at 161km/h, he said. “We do not believe that is the case," Zelensky told reporters on Saturday, rejecting SpaceX’s explanation that the problem was technical.(Reuters)He also warned that restricting the service in occupied territory amounted to partially recognising those areas as no longer Ukrainian. “If you impose restrictions there, you are already partially recognising the temporarily occupied territories as not ours,” he said.Ukraine’s envoy in Washington Denys Sienik told RFE that the restrictions were widespread. SpaceX has denied making any changes to its service.Shahana Yasmin15 November 2026 05:27