Special Operations Forces of Ukraine
The Special Operations Forces of Ukraine (SOF) are a separate branch of the Ukrainian Armed Forces tasked with carrying out special operations. They report directly to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. The SOF conduct reconnaissance, sabotage, counter-terrorism and information-psychological missions both inside Ukraine and abroad.
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Lviv Regional Council Declares 2027 'Year of UPA, Shukhevych and Olzhych,' Sparking Polish Outcry
On 20 October the Lviv Oblast Council voted to designate 2027 as a year honouring the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), its commander Roman Shukhevych and poet Oleh Olzhych. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski sharply criticised the move, with Sikorski signing a motion to add the initiative's author, Sviatoslav Sheremeta, to Poland's list of undesirable persons. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry called the decision counterproductive and stressed it was a regional act taken without consulting central authorities.
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Ukraine hits Volgograd oil refinery and Samara Transneft hub in overnight drone strikes
On the night of October 2, 2026, Ukrainian drones struck oil infrastructure in Russia's Volgograd and Samara oblasts, hitting the Lukoil-Volgograd oil refinery and the LVDS "Samara" Transneft dispatch station. Ukraine's General Staff confirmed both strikes, and President Volodymyr Zelensky described them as a fair response to Russian escalation. The attacks came despite US pressure on Kyiv to halt strikes on Russian oil facilities.
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Ukrainian drones strike Kuibyshev refinery in Russia's Samara region, causing large fire
On the night of 22 September 2026, Ukrainian drones attacked the Kuibyshevsky oil refinery in Samara Oblast, Russia, igniting a large-scale fire. Ukraine's General Staff and the Unmanned Systems Forces confirmed the strike, with the Unmanned Systems Forces stating the distance to the target exceeded 1,000 km. The same night, Ukrainian forces also struck the Bashneft-UNPZ refinery in Ufa.