Ukraine says its drones hit another refinery deep inside Russia as long-range strikes escalate

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukrainian drones have struck another Russian refinery, igniting a fire and producing massive black smoke. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday that the attack targeted the Syzran oil refinery, over 500 miles inside Russia. The governor of Russia’s Samara region reported two deaths but did not mention the refinery. Ukraine has expanded its strike capabilities, frequently targeting Russian oil assets that fund Moscow’s invasion. These attacks have pressured Moscow’s economy and President Vladimir Putin. Ukraine’s intensified campaign has also supported recent battlefield gains, according to the Institute for the Study of War.

Companies join a deep-sea mining rush after Trump executive order, as regulators fast-track permits

WASHINGTON — Since President Donald Trump signed an executive order to create a deep-sea mining industry, businesses have raised millions from investors, and stock prices have soared. At least nine companies are in talks with the government for access to seabed minerals. Sections of the seafloor from American Samoa to Alaska could be auctioned for offshore mining this summer and through the fall. But a close look at some of the companies involved reveals uncertain track records and histories spattered with legal disputes, while major questions about how the minerals would be processed and refined remain unanswered.

– The Associated Press