Ukrainian attack drones struck the Ilsky oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Krai just after midnight local time on January 1, 2026, causing multiple explosions, thick smoke, and fire, according to OSINTtechnical in a post between 11:15 PM and 11:45 PM UTC on December 31. OSINTtechnical described the Ilsky facility as the first Russian refinery hit by Ukrainian drones in 2026. The strike follows earlier attacks reported in the previous 30 minutes, including ongoing fire at the Lyudinovo oil depot in Kaluga region, as noted by Exilenova+ and ОДЕССА ИНФО. A U.S. official told Nick Schifrin that the CIA assessed Ukraine did not target President Putin in a recent drone attack, according to LisaDNews in the same reporting window. Angela Stent stated to Schifrin that President Trump now understands President Putin does not want to sign a peace agreement with Ukraine. Ukrainian media clarified that Vladyslav Vlasyuk is not being considered for head of the President's Office, dismissing yesterday's reports as inaccurate.
