F-16 crash, strikes on oil refineries, and other Ukraine war developments
Ukraine's air force reported an F-16 crash with safe ejection; Ukraine hit two major Russian oil refineries; the Russian rouble continues to weaken.
An F-16 fighter jet crashed during a frontline mission, with the pilot ejecting safely, Ukraine's air force announced on Wednesday. The aircraft was intercepting Russian airborne targets when it malfunctioned. The pilot was found and taken for medical treatment. Experts are examining the crash site. Ukraine has received F-16s from NATO countries including the Netherlands and Denmark.
The director of a Russian drone manufacturer was shot and wounded early Wednesday in what prosecutors called an attempted murder. Andrei Cherezov, head of the Russian Air Transport Laboratory, was attacked near his home in Tula, about 150 km south of Moscow, according to Russian media.
Ukrainian forces hit two of Russia's largest oil refineries overnight Tuesday: a Lukoil refinery in the Perm region, over 1,500 km from Ukraine, and a refinery in Ryazan, about 400 km from the border. The refineries have a combined annual capacity of about 220 million barrels of oil. Russian online retailer Wildberries evacuated employees from a facility in Ryazan due to the drone attacks.
Russia's largest lender, Sberbank, is scrambling to restructure loans and cover losses from drone attacks on e-commerce companies. About 300 companies have sought loan restructuring.
The Russian rouble weakened another 1.9% against the U.S. dollar on Wednesday to its lowest since April 3. It has fallen 14% since May 20 and also declined against the Chinese yuan.
Ukrainian units have struck 201 Russian vessels in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov over the past three weeks. Ukrainian forces also hit a Black Sea naval base, a radar station in Russia's Bryansk region, a drone launch site, and a road bridge in occupied Donetsk.
Russian glide bombs struck Kharkiv and 17 other locations in the region, wounding 11 people. In Kherson, a man was killed and three injured in a drone attack.
Russian officials charged Pavel Durov, founder and CEO of Telegram, with aiding terrorism. Russian journalist Darya Shipacheva pleaded guilty to treason and was sentenced to 12 years in a penal colony.
France ordered Russian media commentator Xenia Fedorova to leave the country, accusing her of spreading Kremlin propaganda. She was placed under house arrest; her lawyer said he would appeal. The EU's Renew group called for sanctions against her.
Ukraine said it appealed the International Olympic Committee's decision to ease restrictions on Russian athletes, arguing it violates the Olympic Charter and is premature.
