Ukraine expands oil strikes on Russia as Putin proposes brief ceasefire

Ukraine expands oil strikes on Russia as Putin proposes brief ceasefire2 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleLaura GozziReutersA Ukrainian drone attack on an oil pumping station near Perm released a large plume of smokeUkrainian drones have again hit oil infrastructure in the city of Perm in central Russia, more than 1,500km from the front line. Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) said the target in Perm was an Lukoil-owned oil refinery - one of the largest in Russia. Dramatic images shared on social media showed huge columns of black smoke and flames rising into the air, and a chemical emergency alert was issued for some parts of Perm. City authorities later claimed the alert was merely a test.The attack on the Lukoil facility in Perm is the latest in a series of successful strikes launched by Ukraine on Russian oil infrastructure in response to Russia's continued aggression. Moscow continues to target Ukrainian cities with aerial attacks on a regular basis and on Wednesday night killed at least three people and injured 79, including a child.Earlier this week, the SBU said it had hit a strategic hub for Russia's sprawling oil pipeline system, also in Perm.Russian authorities have mostly downplayed the significance of these attacks. But the fact Ukrainian drones can now regularly reach deep into Russian territory is difficult to conceal, and has been a cause for concern for Moscow. Earlier this month a number of strikes were carried out on oil infrastructure in the city of Tuapse on the Black Sea, leading to significant oil spills. On local Telegram chat groups, people shared photos of oil slicks in the sea, black puddles on the road and stray animals covered in oily droplets. Despite Moscow's downplaying of the seriousness of the attacks, on Wednesday the Kremlin announced it was paring back its yearly military parade to mark Victory Day - the defeat of Nazi Germany in WW2, on 9 May - due to what it said was the "terrorist threat"...