Ukraine-Russia war: Russian oil depot set on fire as Kyiv says it controls 100 Kursk settlements

Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that “the Olympics are over, but the ping pong continues” as he urged Western allies to allow Kyiv to let Ukraine strike deep inside Russia to hit military infrastructure responsible for strikes on Ukraine.

Russia fired dozens of missiles and drones across Ukraine for a second day on Tuesday, including some that Ukraine’s president said were shot down by Western-supplied F-16 fighter jets before they reached their targets.

The onslaught killed at least five people, destroying a hotel, homes and residential buildings as well as critical infrastructure in multiple Ukrainian regions. Kyiv and other cities had power outages in sweltering heat.

As it often does in statements after Russian bombing raids, Ukraine’s military listed the Russian regions and occupied territories where the weapons were launched.

“[The allies] try not to speak with me about it. But I keep raising this topic. Generally, that’s it. The Olympics are over, but the ping-pong continues,” Mr Zelensky said.

At least three people have died in a Russian strike on a hotel in Kryvyi Rih, a mining and industrial city in Ukraine’s south.

The airstrike injured five others yesterday and destroyed shops and four multi-storey buildings, according to governor Serhii Lysak.

Residents are evacuating their homes as Russia closes in on the strategically important city of Pokrovsk in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.There are fears the city will fall in the coming weeks.

Pokrovsk is a road and rail hub and a city with a pre-war population of 60,000 people, tens of thousands of whom remain even as many evacuate.

Moscow says it has annexed Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, a claim Kyiv rejects as illegal, and sees taking control of Pokrovsk as an important stepping stone to incorporating the entire region into Russia.

This year’s annual Burning Man festival features a powerful art installation by Ukrainian artist Oleksiy Sai about humanity’s growing insensitivity to the damage of war.

Titled “I’m Fine,” the massive 7-meter high and 19-ton installation is made up of various real war artifacts from liberated territories, according to Ukrainian World Congress. Among the objects that make up the sculpture’s enormous lettering are shattered fences, satellite dishes and street signs peppered with bullet holes.

Its message is said to be a play on the Ukranian response to the question: “How are you?”

Our culture reporter Inga Parkel has more details:

Russia has launched a major barrage of missiles and drones across Ukraine, killing four people, injuring more than a dozen and damaging energy facilities in what has been called its biggest attack of the war.

The bombardment, condemned as “vile” by Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelensky, involved the firing of more than 100 missiles and a similar number of drones at more than half the country on Monday, with Ukraine’s air force commander describing it as Moscow’s biggest air assault of the war so far.

In attacks that began at around midnight and continued through daybreak, Ukraine’s air force said swarms of Russian drones fired at eastern, northern, southern and central regions were followed by volleys of cruise and ballistic missiles.

Ukrainian drones have set a number of oil tanks on fire at the Glubokinskaya depot in Russia’s Rostov region, according to several Russian Telegram channels.

Rostov’s governor, Vasily Golubev, said that four Ukraine-launched drones were destroyed over the region, but made no mention of an attack on an oil depot.

Kyiv has taken control of 100 Russian settlements as troops continued its offensive into Russia’s Kursk region, a top military commander claimed.

Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi said Ukrainian troops control 1,294 sq km (500 sq miles) of Russian territory and has taken 594 prisoners of war.

Last week, President Zelensky said Ukraine controlled more than 1,250 sq km of Russian territory.

Ukraine claims to have taken control of 100 settlements in Russia’s Kursk region during its surprise cross-border assault – while facing massive airstrikes from Russian forces for the second day running.

Kyiv’s top military commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said his troops now control 1,294 sq km (500 sq m) of Russian territory in Kursk with up to 594 Russian prisoners of war taken.

Colonel General Syrskyi said Kyiv’s objective in Kursk of distracting Russian troops by pulling them back from eastern Ukrainian regions like the Donbas had been successful.

However, Col Gen Syrskyi also warned Moscow was building up its forces on the eastern frontline, around the important logistics hub of Pokrovsk, where Russian troops have been advancing.

Our reporter Alexander Butler has more in this report:

The NATO-Ukraine council will meet on Wednesday at Kyiv’s request, a spokesperson has confirmed.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will convene the meeting which will brief allies on the frontline situation, spokesperson for the Western military alliance said on Tuesday.

“The meeting will be held at ambassadorial level,” said the spokesperson, Farah Dakhlallah. “Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov is expected to brief Allies via video-link on the battlefield situation and priority capability needs,” she added.

The NATO-Ukraine Council was established last year to enable closer coordination between the alliance and Kyiv. Ambassadors from NATO’s member countries and Ukrainian officials normally attend meetings of the council.

“Tomorrow’s meeting comes after recent waves of heavy Russian strikes against Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure,” Dakhlallah said in an emailed statement seen by Reuters.