Zelensky calls for Ukraine to launch 1,000 drones at Russia daily

On August 28, 2026, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced a goal to scale up long-range drone strikes against Russia to 1,000 daily, up from the current average of 300. The announcement follows devastating Russian strikes in Kherson, Kharkiv, and Sumy, alongside successful Ukrainian drone attacks on major Russian refineries in Yaroslavl and Kstovo. Zelenskyy noted these strikes have forced Russia to import gasoline for the first time in its history.

Zelensky's daily drone strike goal

• ▪Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy set a goal on August 28, 2026, to launch 1,000 long-range drones daily against Russia, a threefold increase from the current average of over 300 daily strikes.
• ▪Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized the need to accelerate the production of interceptors to defend Ukraine against Russian jet-powered Shahed drones.

Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries

• ▪Ukrainian forces launched a drone strike on August 28, 2026, targeting the Slavneft-YANOS refinery in Russia's Yaroslavl region, located approximately 1,000 kilometers from the front line.
• ▪Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Ukrainian military actions have blocked all vessel movement entering or leaving Russia's Novorossiysk port.
• ▪Ukrainian forces struck the Lukoil-Nizhegorodorgsintez refinery in Kstovo on August 26, 2026, causing a fire and forcing the facility to halt crude oil processing.

Russian attacks across Ukrainian regions

• ▪Russian attacks in the Kherson region overnight on August 28, 2026, killed a 61-year-old man and injured 11 other civilians, including a child.
• ▪A Russian drone strike in the Sumy region on August 28, 2026, killed a 61-year-old man and wounded seven other people.
• ▪Russian shelling in the Kharkiv region on August 28, 2026, killed a 26-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman, while injuring 13 others.

CIA director Moscow visit

• ▪CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow for meetings with Russian intelligence officials, which the Kremlin confirmed did not include Russian President Vladimir Putin.
• ▪Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine received information from the United States regarding John Ratcliffe's meetings in Moscow.

Russian fuel supply pressures

• ▪Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia is importing gasoline for the first time in its history and spending budget funds to support its domestic oil companies.
• ▪Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that Russia will suffer even greater economic and export losses if Moscow refuses to negotiate an end to the war.

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