At a fuel station nestled in the Kamensk district of southern Russia, an unexpected blaze ignited, prompting claims of an attack by a Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Local governor Vasily Golubyev of Rostov reported no casualties. The same region has previously witnessed an catastrophic fire at a significant fuel storage facility after an UAV strike.
Russian Ministry of Defense from Moscow announced the interception of a dozen Ukrainian UAVs during night-time surveillance, with four sightings in the Rostov area and eight in Voronezh' central Russian region. However, these claims remain unvalidated by independent sources. Consequently, residents of two Voronezh district villages were temporarily evacuated, as per regional administration reports.
Clearly, Ukrainian hostilities appear to extend beyond these regions, as airports in distant locations like Kazan and Nischnekamsk, to the east of Moscow, briefly halted operations due to yet another UAV threat. The potential intruders within the Russian airspace were mentioned by the Federal Air Transport Agency Rosaviazija.
Ukraine, since initiating its conflict around two and a half years ago, has been relentless in protecting itself against Russian invasion. They have been targeting locations deep within enemy lines using increasingly long-range combat UAVs. The possibility of a drone attack at the Kamensk district fuel station was suggested by the announcement.
Russia's defense ministry has previously reported intercepting multiple Ukrainian drones, speculating an escalation of drone attack incidents.
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For the past few months, Ukrainian drones have significantly impacted Russia's refining capacity. Analysis by Reuters suggests that the drone attacks have knocked out approximately 10% of Russia's refining capacity. These long-range drone attacks have targeted military and industrial targets, including at least eight Russian refineries, oil depots, and key logistical points like pumping stations and ports used for oil and gas exports.
The Kaluga region, for instance, experienced an oil depot attack where eight drones were shot down and one resulted in a fire at an industrial site. The residents of Saratov were also affected by a Ukrainian drone attack, which caused damage to an industrial facility and destroyed eighteen drones over the Saratov region.
Russia's air defenses have been harshly employed in counteracting these attacks. For instance, on January 24, air defenses intercepted and destroyed 121 Ukrainian UAVs over 13 Russian regions, marking the largest drone attack outside the zone of the special military operation since 2025's beginning. On February 11, Russian air defenses successfully intercepted and destroyed 40 Ukrainian drones, with eight of these downed over the Saratov region.
Ukraine's drone strikes are part of a broader strategy aimed at dismantling Russia's energy infrastructure, which is indispensable for Moscow's war efforts. These attacks are in retaliation for Russia's continuous attacks on Ukraine, particularly its electrical infrastructure.
