Russian drone strikes inflict casualties on three individuals in Ukraine
Ukrainian Drone Strikes Cause Casualties and Damage in Western Russia
Overnight on August 1, 2025, a series of drone strikes by Ukraine targeted multiple industrial facilities in several Russian regions, including Penza, Samara, Rostov, Ryazan, and Voronezh.
The attacks resulted in the death of at least three people and the wounding of others. In the Rostov region, a guard at an industrial facility was killed due to a drone attack and a subsequent fire. Another elderly man was killed inside a house in the Samara region due to falling drone debris.
In addition, the strikes caused fires and damage to infrastructure. An oil refinery near Samara was engulfed in flames, and an enterprise in Penza was damaged.
The Ukrainian General Staff confirmed that they had targeted Shahed storage sites and industrial facilities, indicating a strategic focus on crippling Russia’s drone production and military-industrial capabilities.
These strikes come amid an intensified Ukrainian drone campaign as Russia continues its heavy drone and missile attacks on Ukraine. Russia reportedly launched thousands of drones and missiles into Ukraine, while Ukraine simultaneously launched hundreds of drones daily targeting Russian territory.
Russia's defense ministry reported that its air defense systems had destroyed 112 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory, including 34 over the Rostov region.
In response, Russia is reportedly expanding drone strike capabilities from occupied Ukrainian territories. Preparations are being made at an airport in northern occupied Donetsk City for drone operations, potentially escalating drone conflict dynamics and involving long-range drone threats to Ukraine and NATO states.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for a meeting between him and Putin to end the war, stating that the United States has proposed this and Ukraine has supported it. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin wants peace but insists his demands for ending Moscow's military offensive – that Ukraine abandon territory and end ambitions to join NATO – remain unchanged.
According to Zelensky, what is needed is Russia's readiness for such a meeting.
In a separate incident, six deaths were reported due to a Russian air strike on Kyiv, according to officials. Another incident in Ukraine's central-eastern Dnipropetrovsk region resulted in three people being wounded due to overnight Russian drone attacks.
Kyiv denies any Russian presence in the Dnipropetrovsk area. However, Russian forces have claimed advances in Dnipropetrovsk, capturing two villages as part of Moscow's accelerated capture of territory in July, according to AFP's analysis of data from the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
References:
[1] BBC News. (2025, August 2). Ukraine drone attacks hit Russian oil refineries and plants. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-58147467
[2] Reuters. (2025, August 2). Ukraine attacks Russian oil depot in annexed Crimea with drones, Kremlin says. [online] Available at: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-attacks-russian-oil-depot-annexed-crimea-kremlin-says-2025-08-02/
[3] The Guardian. (2025, August 2). Russia preparing to launch drone attacks on Ukraine from occupied territories, says Ukrainian official. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/02/russia-preparing-to-launch-drone-attacks-on-ukraine-from-occupied-territories-says-ukrainian-official
[4] CNN. (2025, August 2). Ukraine says it targeted Russian drone storage sites and industrial facilities. [online] Available at: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/08/02/world/ukraine-russia-drone-strikes-intl/index.html
- The Rostov region experienced a fatal incident when a guard at an industrial facility was killed due to a fire caused by a drone attack during the Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war, despite Russia's insistence on its demands for ending Moscow's military offensive, which include Ukraine abandoning territory and ending ambitions to join NATO.
- In the midst of the intensified Ukrainian drone campaign, there were reports of Russian air strikes, such as the one that caused six deaths in Kyiv, as both sides continue to utilize drone technology in their conflicts.
