Ukrainian drones struck a petrochemical plant almost 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) inside Russia early on November 4 while the battle for the key Ukrainian city of Pokrovsk continued amid contradicting official statements by Moscow and Kyiv.
The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement on November 4 that its troops repelled 10 attacks by Ukraine's armed forces "who attempted to break out of encirclement in the last 24 hours in the northern and northwestern directions to Pokrovsk."
Meanwhile, Ukraine's Military Intelligence (HUR) said "a special operation in a key district, from the view of front-line logistics, of Pokrovsk continues, while fierce clashes with the Russian occupying forces are under way."
In recent weeks, Russian forces have slowly crept forward on Pokrovsk's eastern and southern perimeters, seizing roads, slowly strangling supply lines, and pressuring Ukrainian defenses.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has acknowledged that Pokrovsk is currently the hottest area on the entire front line.
In a media briefing on November 3, Zelenskyy said that "as many as 30 percent of all combat activities are now taking place in Pokrovsk." He added that half of all Russian guided bomb strikes are now directed at Pokrovsk and hence "you can understand how tough it is for our [soldiers]" there.
Sitting astride two major highways -- one heading west to the Dnipropetrovsk region and the city of Dnipro, the other heading northeast to the railway junction city of Kostyantynivka -- Pokrovsk has been a linchpin of Ukraine's defense on the central and southern stretches of the 1,100-kilometer front line.
Russian forces managed to cement a more stable foothold inside the ruined city as Ukrainian troops, under pressure in other locations to the north, such as Kupyansk, struggled to hold them back.
As part of its strategy to slow Russia's war machine, Kyiv has stepped up long-range air strikes aimed at key Russian infrastructure.
Early on November 4, Ukrainian drones struck a petrochemical plant almost 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) inside Russia.
The head of the Bashkortostan region, Radiy Khabirov, said on Telegram that two Ukrainian drones hit the Sterlitamak industrial complex after being shot down. Authorities said the drones partially knocked out a water treatment installation at the complex.
Khabirov said there were no fatalities in the attack.
Ukrainian officials have not commented on the attack, which comes as Kyiv continues to strike at key facilities such as oil refineries, gas storage depots, and other logistical installations as it tries to slow Russia's war machine.
Kyiv has pleaded with the United States for long-range weapons such as Tomahawk missiles that it says are crucial to striking back against Russia as the Kremlin intensifies air strikes on Ukrainian cities.
Could The US Send Tomahawks?
US President Donald Trump has at times suggested the United States could provide Tomahawks to Ukraine, although he has more recently appeared to oppose the idea, including while taking questions from reporters on November 2.
Trump -- who is attempting to mediate a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia -- told reporters he hoped the conflict would end "without thinking about Tomahawks.”
He has also expressed concerns about relinquishing Tomahawks -- which have a range of 1,600-2,500 kilometers -- that might be needed for the US military's own requirements.
Astra Telegram channel reported that Ukrainian drones also attacked an industrial area in Siberia's Novosibirsk region that hosts two major oil refineries. The attack caused a fire, while local residents say they heard explosions overnight.
Governor Andrei Bocharov of Russia's Volgograd region reported a fire at an electric station that was also caused by a drone attack. No casualties were mentioned.
Dozens of drones also attacked the Voronezh region of Russia, damaging an apartment block, two garages, and vehicles inside them.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, 85 Ukrainian drones had been liquidated over eight Russian regions.
Ukraine's Air Defense said in a statement on November 4 that Russia used one Iskander-M ballistic missile, six S-300 missiles, and 130 assault drones in its overnight strikes against Ukraine. According to the statement, 92 Russian drones were shot down.
Ukrainian officials said a Russian air strike killed a woman in the Dnipropetrovsk region. Eight people were injured in the attack. Rescue teams in the region's city of Nikopol said Russian armed forces deliberately struck an ambulance vehicle, injuring three medical personnel.
In the Odesa region, a massive Russian air strike damaged energy sites and the Black Sea port infrastructure.
Ukraine's State Emergencies Service said several Russian air strikes injured six people, including two firefighters. The attacks also damaged residential buildings, a gas pipeline, and public infrastructure.
