By DEREK GATOPOULOS and VOLODYMYR YURCHUK, Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — At a secret location in rural Ukraine, columns of attack drones are assembled at night and in near silence to strike deep inside Russia.

Their targets are strategic: oil refineries, fuel depots, and military logistics hubs. Since the summer, Ukraine’s long-range drone campaign has ramped up dramatically, pounding energy infrastructure across Russia and stretching Moscow’s air defenses thin.

Built from parts made in a scattered network of workshops, these drones now fly much further than at any point in the war.

Officers in body armor move with quick precision; headlamps glow red to stay hidden. Engines sputter like old motorcycles as exhaust fumes drift into the moonless night. Minutes later, one after another, the drones lift from a makeshift runway and head east. The strikes have caused gasoline shortages in Russia, even forcing rationing in some regions and underscoring a growing vulnerability in the country’s infrastructure. Lt. Gen. Vasyl Maliuk, head of the Ukrainian Security Service, said Friday that more than 160 successful strikes had been carried out against Russia’s oil extraction and refining facilities so far this year.

Drones hammer refineries

Western analysts say the attacks on energy infrastructure so far have had a serious — but not crippling — effect. Ukrainian drones have repeatedly hit 16 major Russian refineries, representing about 38% of the country’s nominal refining capacity, according to a recent review by the Carnegie Endowment, a U.S.-based think tank.

But it argues the actual impact has been considerably more limited: most plants resumed operations within weeks, and Russia’s refining output has been cushioned by idle capacity and existing fuel surpluses.

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The deep strikes have, however, given Kyiv the initiative at an important moment. The United States and Europe are ramping up sanctions on Russia’s oil industry even as Kyiv’s request for U.S. long-range Tomahawk missiles has stalled. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine’s improved long-range strike capability is causing real damage – forcing the Kremlin to import fuel and curb exports. “We believe they’ve lost up to 20% of their gasoline supply — directly as a result of our strikes,” he told reporters at a briefing in Kyiv.

At the secret launch site, the commander overseeing the operation — a broad-shouldered man identified by his call sign, “Fidel,” in accordance with Ukrainian military regulations — watches through night-vision goggles as the drones climb into the star-filled sky.

“Drones are evolving,” Fidel told The Associated Press. “Instead of flying 500 kilometers (310 miles), now they fly 1,000 … Three factors go into a successful operation: the drones, the people and the planning. We want to deliver the best result. For us, this is a holy mission.”

Ukraine thrives on no-frills weapons

Much of Ukraine’s fleet is homegrown. The Liutyi, a workhorse of the nightly attacks, is a waist-high craft with a sausage-shaped body, a propeller at the back, and a distinctive triangular tail.

It looks neither sleek nor intimidating — more Home Depot than Lockheed Martin — but the ease of assembly means it can be kept hidden and constantly tweaked: optimized to slip through heavily monitored frontline airspace.

Typical of Ukraine’s no-frills war production philosophy, the Liutyi — whose name means “fierce” in Ukrainian — has become a symbol of national pride and recently featured on a local postage stamp.

The reach of these drones — with some models doubling in range over the past year to routinely strike targets within a 1,000-kilometer radius of the border — marks a shift in the geography of the conflict. Attacks a year ago damaged refineries in a much narrower range, mostly in western Russian border regions. Costs have also come down, further testing expensive air defense systems, with long-range drones now being produced in Ukraine for as little as $55,000.

A shift in conflict geography

“What we’re seeing is that Ukraine is getting better at taking the war inside Russia,” said Adriano Bosoni, director of analysis at RANE, a global risk analysis firm. “For most of the war, Russia operated on the assumption that its own territory was safe. That’s no longer the case.”

The strategic logic is attrition by logistics, he argued: by forcing Russia to reroute supplies and commit air defenses to a wider area, Kyiv seeks to degrade Moscow’s capacity to sustain large-scale operations.

The Paris-based International Energy Agency says repeated drone strikes have cut Russia’s refining capacity by about 500,000 barrels a day. That’s triggered domestic fuel shortages and curbed exports of diesel and jet fuel, even as overall global oil production remains steady and prices stable.

Kyiv’s homegrown strike capability allows independent drone launches, bypassing the Western approval required for imported long-range weapons. That autonomy preceded tougher sanctions on Russia: allies escalated only after Ukraine had spent months hitting Russian refineries.

On the ground, each mission is a study in tradeoffs. Fewer than 30% of drones even reach the target area, so meticulous planning is essential, said Fidel, who reflected on the human cost. “War has fallen to our generation so that we can fight for our kids and they can live in a free democratic country,” he said. “We are currently obtaining experience that will be used by every country in the world, and we are paying the price with our lives and the lives of our friends.”

Associated Press journalists Hanna Arhirova, Illia Novikov, Evgeniy Maloletka, Dmytro Zhyhinas and Alex Babenko contributed to this report from Ukraine.

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — At least 15 JetBlue passengers were injured and taken to the hospital after a sudden drop in altitude on a flight from Mexico forced an emergency landing in Florida, officials said Friday.

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The Thursday flight from Cancun was headed to Newark, New Jersey, when the altitude dropped. The Federal Aviation Administration said the plane was diverted to Tampa International Airport around 2 p.m. “after the crew experienced a flight control issue.”

Between 15 and 20 people were taken to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, according to Vivian Shedd, a spokesperson for Tampa Fire Rescue.

JetBlue says it has taken the aircraft, an Airbus A320, out of service for inspection. The plane has 162 seats, according to the airline’s website. It wasn’t immediately known how many people were on board.

“We will conduct a full investigation to determine the cause,” JetBlue said in a statement. The FAA says it is also investigating.

Pilots told air traffic control that there had been “a flight control issue” and described injuries including a possible “laceration in the head,” according to audio recorded by LiveATC.net.

Medical personnel met the passengers and crew on the ground at the airport, according to an airport spokesperson.

In June, a JetBlue flight landing at Boston’s Logan International Airport rolled off the runway and into the grass. No one was injured but the runway was temporarily closed.

By HYUNG-JIN KIM, KIM TONG-HYUNG and HUIZHONG WU, Associated Press

GYEONGJU, South Korea (AP) — Chinese leader Xi Jinping told Asia-Pacific leaders on Friday that his country would help to defend global free trade at an annual economic regional forum snubbed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

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Xi took center stage at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit that began Friday in the South Korean city of Gyeongju, as Trump left the country a day earlier after reaching deals with Xi meant to ease their escalating trade war.

This year’s two-day APEC summit has been heavily overshadowed by the Trump-Xi meeting that was arranged on the sidelines.

Trump described his Thursday meeting with Xi as a roaring success, saying he would cut tariffs on China, while Beijing had agreed to allow the export of rare earth elements and start buying American soybeans. Their deals were a relief to a world economy rattled by trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies.

Trump’s decision to skip APEC fits with his well-known disdain for big, multi-nation forums that have been traditionally used to address global problems. But his blunt dismissal of APEC risks worsening America’s reputation at a forum that represents nearly 40% of the world’s population and more than half of global goods trade.

Xi defends multilateralism

“The more turbulent the times, the more we must work together,” Xi said during APEC’s opening session. “The world is undergoing a period of rapid change, with the international situation becoming increasingly complex and volatile.”

Xi called for maintaining supply chain stability, in a riposte to U.S. efforts to decouple its supply chains from China. He also expressed hopes to work with other countries to expand cooperation in green industries and clean energy.

In written remarks sent to a CEO summit held in conjunction with APEC, Xi said China was open for investment and would uphold the multilateral trading system.

“Facts have proven that whoever gains a foothold in the Chinese market will be able to seize the critical opportunity in increasingly fierce international competition,” Xi wrote. “Investing in China is investing in the future.”

U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, who attended the summit on Trump’s behalf, said a U.S. move to rebalance its trade relationships would ensure that “each country operates on fair and reciprocal terms.” He added that the U.S. is “investing with its trading partners to build resilient production networks that reduce dependence on vulnerable sectors.”

Xi met other leaders on the sidelines

It’s Xi’s first visit to South Korea in 11 years.

On the sidelines of the summit, Xi had bilateral meetings with new Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Friday.

In his meeting with Takaichi, Xi said he hopes the two countries would commit to building a constructive and stable relationship “fit for the new era.” Takaichi expressed hopes to ease what she called “a variety of” challenges facing the two countries. She said she also hopes to deepen her personal relationship with Xi.

On Saturday, Xi is to meet South Korean President Lee Jae Myung for another one-on-one meeting expected to touch on North Korea’s nuclear program.

APEC faces challenges

Established in 1989 during a period of increased globalization, APEC champions free and open trade and investment to accelerate regional economic integration. But the APEC region now faces challenges like strategic competitions between the U.S. and China, supply chain vulnerabilities, aging populations and the impact of AI on jobs. The U.S. strategy has been shifted to economic competitions with China rather than cooperation, with Trump’s tariff hikes and “America first” agenda shaking markets and threatening decades of globalization and multinationalism.

Leaders and other representatives from 21 Asia-Pacific Rim economies are attending the APEC meeting to discuss how to promote economic cooperation and tackle shared challenges. Opening the summit as chair, Lee called for greater cooperation and solidarity.

“It’s obvious that we can’t always stand on the same side, as our national interests are at stake. But we can join together for the ultimate goal of shared prosperity,” Lee said. “I hope we will have candid and constructive discussions on how we can achieve APEC’s vision in the face of the new challenge of a rapidly changing international economic environment.”

Carney reiterated his government’s plan to double its non-U.S. exports in the next decade, as he said that “our world is undergoing one of the most profound shifts since the fall of the Berlin Wall.”

Despite Trump’s optimism after a 100-minute meeting with Xi, there continues to be the potential for major tensions between the countries, with both seeking dominant places in manufacturing and developing emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.

“It is certainly a contribution to bring the leaders of the two largest economies together for a meeting where they agreed to withdraw their most extreme tariff and export control threats. As a result, worst-case outcomes for global trade were averted,” said Leif-Eric Easley, professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul.

“However, APEC is meant to be more than a venue for a trade war truce,” Easley said. “Greater multilateral efforts are needed to address the region’s most pressing economic challenges, including resisting costly and destabilizing protectionism, harmonizing regulations for sustainable trade, and coordinating standards for digital innovation.”

Host South Korea pushes for joint statement

South Korean officials said they’ve been communicating with other countries to prod all 21 members to adopt a joint statement at the end of the summit so as not to repeat the failure to issue one in 2018 in Papua New Guinea due to U.S.-China discord over trade.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said last week that issuing a joint statement strongly endorsing free trade would be unlikely because of differing positions among APEC members. He instead anticipated a broader declaration emphasizing peace and prosperity in the region.

As the host nation, South Korea placed a priority on discussing AI cooperation and demographic challenges during the summit.

Wu reported from Taipei, Taiwan. Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.

By EILEEN NG

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — The U.S. Secretary of Defense said Friday he told his Chinese counterpart during talks in Malaysia that Washington would “stoutly defend” its interests in the Indo-Pacific. He also signed a new agreement aimed at strengthening security ties with India.

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Pete Hegseth described as “good and constructive” his meeting with Chinese Admiral Dong Jun, held on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations defense ministers meeting in Kuala Lumpur. He said he raised U.S. concerns over Chinese activities in the South China Sea, around Taiwan and toward U.S. allies and partners in the region.

“I highlighted the importance of maintaining a balance of power in the Indo-Pacific,” Hegseth wrote on social media platform X. “United States does not seek conflict (but) it will continue to stoutly defend its interests and ensure it has the capabilities in the region to do so.”

China’s defense ministry issued a cautious response, emphasizing its longstanding positions. Dong Jun stressed the reunification of China and Taiwan is an “unstoppable historical trend” and urged the U.S. to be cautious in its words and actions on the Taiwan issue, the statement said.

“We hope the U.S. will translate its statements of not containing China and not seeking conflict into action, and work with China to inject positive energy into regional and global peace and security,” according to the statement.

Their meeting follows a Sept. 9 video call between Hegseth and Dong and reflects ongoing efforts to manage tensions in the Indo-Pacific even as strategic differences, particularly over Taiwan and freedom of navigation, remain pronounced.

Hegseth also met with India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, and they signed a 10-year defense framework aimed at expanding military and technological cooperation.

Washington has long sought to develop a deeper partnership with New Delhi, which is seen as a bulwark against China. India is a major defense partner of the U.S and has in recent years embedded advanced American jets, helicopters, missiles and military gear into its armed forces.

“This advances our defense partnership, a cornerstone for regional stability and deterrence,” Hegseth wrote on X. “Our defense ties have never been stronger.”

Singh said the U.S.-India partnership is crucial for ensuring a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific region. “It is a signal of our growing strategic convergence and will herald a new decade of partnership,” he said on X.

The framework agreement comes amid renewed strains in bilateral ties after President Donald Trump imposed a 50% import tariff on Indian goods in August and criticized New Delhi for continued purchase of discounted Russian oil. India is the second biggest buyer of Russian oil after China.

Hegseth also held talks with his Malaysian and Philippines counterparts.. He reaffirmed committment to maritime security in the South China Sea and said the U.S. would “work relentlessly to reestablish deterrence in the South China Sea.”

Malaysia has previously protested the encroachment of Chinese vessels into its waters but usually prefers quiet diplomacy. That’s in contrast to the neighboring Philippines, which has had major confrontations with China at sea in recent years. China claims virtually the entire South China Sea, overlapping claims made by countries including Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan.

Asked to comment about U.S. President Donald Trump’s plans to restart nuclear weapon testing for the first time in three decades, Malaysian Defense Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin told a news conference later Friday that ASEAN is a nuclear weapon free zone area and “we try to avoid anything that can bring great calamity to humankind.” He didn’t elaborate.

ASEAN secretary-general Kao Kim Hourn separately said some ASEAN members may seek more details from Hegseth about U.S. nuclear testing at a planned ASEAN-U.S. meeting on Saturday.

“For the security and safety of the world, I think it’s important … to bear in mind that the world should never see the use of another nuclear weapon,” he said.

Trump made the comments Thursday on social media, saying it would be on an “equal basis” with Russia and China. There was no signs the U.S. would start detonating warheads, but Trump offered few details in what seemed to be a significant shift in U.S. policy.

ASEAN defense ministers will continue talks Saturday with dialogue partners including the United States, China, Japan, India, Australia, South Korea and Russia.

Rajesh Roy in New Delhi and Ken Moritsugu and Chen Shihuan in Beijing contributed to this report.