Ukraine claims strike on key Russian gas facility behind front lines

Ukraine's General Staff has confirmed a series of long-range strikes against military and industrial targets in Russia, including the Orenburg Gas Processing Plant and the country's only helium production facility.

In a statement, the General Staff said that units of Ukraine's Defence Forces carried out the operation during the night of June 24, targeting facilities in Russia's Orenburg region located more than 1,200 kilometres from the front line.

“On the night of June 24, 2026, units of Ukraine’s Defence Forces struck the Orenburg Gas Processing Plant and Russia’s only helium plant in the Orenburg region of the Russian Federation. The distance to the targets was more than 1,200 kilometres from the line of combat contact. Fires were recorded on the premises of the facilities. The extent of the damage is being clarified. The Orenburg Gas Processing Plant (GPP) and the Orenburg Helium Plant form a single industrial complex,” the statement said.

The Ukrainian military also reported a strike on a warehouse storing Russian FPV drones near Alekseyevka in Russia's Belgorod region.

In addition, Ukrainian forces said they targeted Russian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) command posts in several locations, including near Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region, Basan and Hrozove in the Zaporizhzhia region, Tyotkino and Popovo-Lezhachi in Russia's Kursk region, and Zhuravlyovka in Russia's Belgorod region.

The General Staff further announced that analysis of operational data had confirmed the destruction of two Russian unmanned surface vessels in the northwestern Black Sea on June 23.

“Additionally, following data analysis, the destruction of two enemy unmanned surface vessels in the northwestern part of the Black Sea on June 23, 2026, was confirmed. Furthermore, damage to two buildings, followed by a fire, has been confirmed on the premises of the Vladimir Space Communications Centre in Russia’s Vladimir region,” the statement added.

By Vafa Guliyeva