Ukrainian Drone Strikes on Russian Energy Facilities as Trump Signals Ukraine May Need to Cede Territory for Peace

Ukrainian drones have targeted a significant gas processing facility in southern Russia, causing a fire and disrupting gas intake from Kazakhstan, according to Russian and Kazakh authorities on Sunday.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump suggested that Ukraine might need to surrender territory to end Russia's invasion, which has continued for more than three and a half years, marking an apparent shift in his approach to peace negotiations.

The Orenburg plant, operated by state-owned Gazprom near the Kazakh border, is among the world's largest facilities of its kind, with an annual capacity of 45 billion cubic meters. It processes gas condensate from Kazakhstan's Karachaganak field along with Orenburg's own oil and gas resources.

Regional Governor Yevgeny Solntsev reported that drone strikes ignited a workshop at the plant and damaged portions of the facility. Kazakhstan's Energy Ministry confirmed that Gazprom had notified them about the plant's temporary inability to process Kazakh gas "due to an emergency situation following a drone attack."

Ukraine's General Staff stated that a "large-scale fire" erupted at the Orenburg plant, damaging one of its gas processing and purification units.

Kyiv has intensified attacks on Russian energy infrastructure in recent months, claiming these facilities fund and directly support Moscow's war efforts.

Ukrainian prosecutors allege that Moscow is modifying aerial-guided bombs to target civilians deeper inside Ukraine. Local authorities in Kharkiv reported that Russia struck a residential neighborhood using a new rocket-powered aerial bomb for the first time.

The Kharkiv regional prosecutor's office stated that Russia deployed a weapon called the UMPB-5R, capable of traveling up to 130 kilometers (80 miles), in an attack on the city of Lozava on Saturday. The city is located 150 kilometers (93 miles) south of Kharkiv, a considerable distance for such a weapon.

Russia continued attacking areas closer to the front line in Ukraine. In the Dnipropetrovsk region, at least 11 people were injured after Russian drones hit the Shakhtarske area. The attack damaged at least 14 five-story buildings and a store, according to acting regional Governor Vladyslav Haivanenko.

Ukraine's General Staff also claimed a separate drone strike hit Russia's Novokuibyshevsk oil refinery in the Samara region near Orenburg, causing a fire and damaging main refining units.

The Novokuibyshevsk facility, operated by Russian gas major Rosneft, has an annual capacity of 4.9 million tons and produces over 20 types of oil-based products. Russian authorities did not immediately acknowledge the Ukrainian claim.

Russia's Defence Ministry announced early Sunday that its air defense forces had intercepted 45 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 12 over the Samara region, one over the Orenburg region, and 11 over the neighboring Saratov region.

Ukraine's air force reported that Russia launched 62 drones into Ukrainian territory during the night, with 40 being shot down or diverted due to electronic jamming.

In a Fox News interview conducted Thursday, Trump appeared to suggest Ukraine may need to cede territory captured by Russia. When asked whether Putin would end the war "without taking significant property from Ukraine," Trump responded: "Well, he's going to take something."

"They fought, and he has a lot of property. He's won certain property," Trump said. "We're the only nation that goes in, wins a war and then leaves."

The interview aired Sunday on "Sunday Morning Futures" but was conducted before Trump spoke with Putin and Zelensky last week.

These comments represent another shift in Trump's position on the conflict. In recent weeks, he had shown growing impatience with Putin and expressed greater willingness to help Ukraine win the war.

In the interview, Trump was noncommittal about providing Tomahawk missiles requested by Ukraine, saying "I'm looking at it" but expressing concern about depleting US weapons stockpiles.

"We need them for ourselves too," Trump said. "We can't give all our weapons to Ukraine. We just can't do that."

Russians and Ukrainians interviewed by The Associated Press last week expressed hopes for progress at an upcoming summit between Trump and Putin in Budapest, Hungary, though they anticipated no major breakthrough.

The two leaders agreed in a Thursday phone call to meet in the coming weeks, according to Trump, who also met with Zelensky at the White House on Friday.

Despite Ukraine's hopes, Trump did not commit to providing Tomahawk missiles following the meeting with Zelensky. These missiles would be the longest-range weapons in Ukraine's arsenal, allowing precision strikes deep inside Russia, including Moscow.

Analysts suggest that delivering Tomahawks could provide leverage to push the Kremlin into negotiations, especially after Trump expressed frustration over Putin's unwillingness to compromise on key aspects of a possible peace deal.