World news highlights for May 31st

News roundup May 31st: Russia accuses Ukraine of attacking nuclear facilities and oil refineries, Trump tightens conditions for negotiations with Iran, meteor causes tremors in the US.

In today's latest world news on May 31st, notable developments focus on Ukraine being accused by Russia of attacking Europe's largest nuclear power plant and assaulting the Saratov oil refinery, President Donald Trump's demand for stricter terms in a proposed agreement to end the conflict with Iran, and a meteor explosion in the US causing tremors in several states.

Russian oil refinery hit by Ukrainian drone.

Russian Telegram channels reported early on May 31st that Ukrainian troops had launched a drone attack on the Saratov oil refinery in Saratov province. Images and videos posted by local residents on social media showed fires breaking out in the refinery area, while thick black smoke enveloped parts of the city.

Smoke rises over the Saratov oil refinery area in Russia following a drone attack allegedly carried out by Ukraine on May 30, 2026. (Photo: Exilenova_plus/Telegram)

The Saratov refinery is one of Russia's key industrial facilities, producing more than 20 petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel fuel, fuel oil, and asphalt. According to the Ukrainian General Staff, the refinery processed approximately 4.8 million tons of crude oil in 2023.

There has been no independent confirmation of the attack or the extent of the damage at the facility. The Ukrainian military has not commented on the information. The city of Saratov is located about 150 km from the Kazakhstan border and nearly 600 km east of the Ukrainian front line.

This is not the first time the Saratov oil refinery has been targeted. Since the full-blown Russia-Ukraine conflict, the facility has been repeatedly attacked by drones, most recently in March, forcing a temporary halt to production. Recently, Ukraine has increased its long-range attacks on Russia's energy, logistics, and defense infrastructure using domestically developed drones.

Meanwhile, on May 30, Russia's state-owned nuclear energy corporation Rosatom accused Ukraine of using fiber optic-controlled drones to attack the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) – Europe's largest nuclear power facility. According to Rosatom, the attack damaged part of the turbine house of unit number 6. However, Ukraine denied the accusation and refuted any involvement in the incident.

Illustrative image: Six reactors of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Enerhodar city, Zaporizhzhia province, an area currently controlled by Russia. (Photo: Getty Images)

"The Ukrainian army acts strictly in accordance with international humanitarian law and is fully aware of the consequences of any action targeting nuclear facilities," the Ukrainian side stated in a press release, adding that there was no fighting in the area of ​​the front line and no weapons were used at the time of the incident.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expressed concern about the incident and requested access to the site to assess the damage. The Zaporizhzhia plant stated that radiation levels remained within normal limits and that no casualties or serious damage were reported. However, Russia warned that attacks on nuclear facilities could have consequences far beyond the scope of the current conflict.

Trump is tough.

US President Donald Trump has proposed adjusting some provisions in the draft agreement aimed at ending the conflict in the Middle East, US media reported on May 30.

According to The New York Times , the changes proposed by Trump aim to tighten the terms of the agreement. The new framework has been sent back to Iran for review, according to officials familiar with the negotiations.

US President Donald Trump (Photo: AP)

The specific details of the adjustments are not yet clear. However, Axios reports that Trump wants to strengthen certain provisions that he considers particularly important, including how to handle Iran's nuclear materials stockpile.

The new amendments could prolong negotiations for several more days before the parties reach a final decision on whether to accept an agreement to end hostilities. The current conflict erupted after the US and Israel launched coordinated airstrikes against Iran on February 28.

Earlier, US sources said the draft agreement was awaiting approval from President Trump.

However, following a meeting in the White House Situation Room on May 29, the US President has yet to make a final decision.

Trump has previously stated that Washington's top priorities in any deal are for Iran to commit to not developing nuclear weapons and to restore shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a route that carries about 20% of the world's oil supply.

Meteorite explodes in the sky over the United States.

A loud explosion accompanied by tremors was recorded across several New England states on the afternoon of May 30th, prompting authorities to urgently investigate the cause. According to the Meteor Society of America, the phenomenon was actually caused by a meteor, approximately 1 meter in diameter, entering the atmosphere near the border between Massachusetts and New Hampshire, north of Boston.

The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) confirmed that this was a natural object, not a satellite or space debris. The meteor entered the atmosphere at 2:06 PM on May 30th at a speed of approximately 120,700 km/h and likely broke into many pieces at an altitude of about 60 km. NASA estimated the energy released was equivalent to about 300 tons of TNT, creating two large explosions that were heard by residents.

A map released by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows the location where the asteroid entered the atmosphere. (Image: NOAA)

The American Meteor Society says it has received dozens of reports from an area stretching from Delaware to Montreal. Many people reported hearing explosions, feeling the ground shake, or seeing a bright fireball in the daytime sky, similar to a shooting star.

Videos posted on social media captured two consecutive explosions, while many residents reported that buildings shook as if an earthquake had occurred. However, the U.S. Geological Survey confirmed that it did not record any earthquakes on its seismic system. According to experts, most meteorites burn up in the atmosphere before hitting the ground; if any fragments remain, they most likely fell into the sea.

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/tin-the-gioi-noi-bat-trong-ngay-31-5-ar1021020.html