Ukraine launched a massive wave of drone attacks that targeted seven regions in Russia overnight on Wednesday. An industrial complex in Rostov and a gas infrastructure facility in Voronezh were said to have been hit during the blitz.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Ministry of Defence said its forces had shot down 77 drones during the attack. This latest episode follows a ferocious Ukrainian bombardment of Moscow and its region earlier in the week. Videos posted to social media by locals in Russia appear to show several raging fires in the aftermath of the bombardments on Wednesday.
Voronezh’s governor, Alexander Gusev, said a fire had broken out in the Sholokov district following the attacks.
“Due to the fall of one of them (UAVs) in the Kalininsky farm of the Sholokhov district, a fire broke out on the territory of an industrial facility,” he said.
“Fire crews on duty were dispatched to the scene to extinguish the landscape fire.”
He added there were no casualties. Although he did not specify what the industrial facility was, locals claimed it was a natural gas facility.
Ukraine has repeatedly and systematically targeted fuel depots as it seeks to disrupt Putin’s war machine.
Drone strikes have damaged Russian oil processing and storage facilities, disabling approximately 10-15% of the country’s refining capacity and causing fires, equipment damage, and temporary shutdowns.
Vladislav Shapish, Kaluga’s governor, confirmed that a falling drone caused a fire to break out at an industrial complex in the Dzerzhinsky district.
He said one person had received minor injuries, who was promptly provided with medical assistance.
Russia also launched its own massive aerial attack on Ukraine overnight on Wednesday, firing an Iskander-M missile and sending over 117 UAVs.
It comes as the world awaits an official response from the Kremlin to plans agreed by Ukraine and the US for an interim 30-day ceasefire.
President Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, is expected in Moscow shortly to hold talks with the Russian side.
Russia has previously made a number of demands that must be met in order for peace talks to progress.
These include: no NATO membership for Kyiv; an agreement not to deploy foreign troops in Ukraine; and international recognition of Vladimir Putin’s claim to Crimea and four Ukrainian provinces.
