Fires Break Out at Russian Energy Sites Following Ukrainian Drone Assaults
A series of Ukrainian drone attacks overnight have sparked fires at multiple Russian energy facilities. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, over 158 drones launched by Ukraine targeted 15 regions across the country, including Moscow. While the Russian military claimed to have intercepted and destroyed these drones, the attacks still led to significant damage.
In Moscow, a fire broke out at an oil refinery in a “separate technical room,” according to Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. He reported that at least 11 drones were aimed at the capital and its surrounding areas. Meanwhile, in the Tver region, approximately 75 miles (120 km) from Moscow, loud explosions were heard near the Konakovo Power Station, with local media confirming a fire at the site. Igor Rudenya, the governor of the region, stated that the fire caused by the attack in the Konakovsky district had been contained but did not provide further details about the extent of the damage. Additionally, officials reported attempts to strike the Kashira Power Plant in the Moscow region; however, no fires, damage, or casualties were reported there.
Videos verified by BBC Verify show explosions at all three sites, with fires visible at the Konakovo Power Station and the Moscow refinery. Ukraine has not officially commented on these attacks, but recent months have seen an increase in long-range strikes inside Russia by Ukrainian forces, often using drones to hit strategic targets.
In a related development, a 23-year-old truck driver was killed in Ukraine’s Sumy region following a Russian airstrike on a grain convoy. Local authorities reported that the attack resulted in four injuries and set one truck ablaze, damaging about 20 others. Ukraine’s air force announced it had intercepted and destroyed eight out of 11 drones used by Russia in strikes targeting grain and agricultural facilities in the Mykolaiv region.
The Sumy region borders Russia’s Kursk region, where Ukraine has been conducting a military operation for nearly a month. Although progress has slowed recently, Ukraine claims to have gained control of 1,294 square kilometers (500 square miles) of territory, including around 100 settlements, and captured nearly 600 Russian soldiers.
On the eastern front, Russian forces are advancing toward a key town in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, which has been a focal point of Moscow’s offensive for months. The town of Pokrovsk is strategically important due to its railway station and its location at the intersection of major roads, serving as a crucial logistics hub for Ukrainian forces. Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief General Oleksandr Syrskyi described the situation in the region as “difficult” but assured that all necessary decisions are being made promptly.
These latest attacks on Russian energy facilities follow a series of retaliatory strikes. Just a day before, a Russian guided bomb struck a playground in Kharkiv, killing a 14-year-old girl. Another attack on a residential building in the same city resulted in six additional deaths. Last week, Russia launched a massive wave of drone and missile strikes on Ukraine’s energy grid, killing at least nine people over two days. Russia has been targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since the early days of its full-scale invasion, which began in February 2022.
