Russian oil facilities and a military airfield reportedly under fire from Ukraine's forces, according to Ukrainian claims.
In a series of coordinated attacks over the weekend, Ukraine's military targeted strategic facilities in Russia, causing significant damage to oil refineries, military airfields, and electronics factories.
According to reports from Ukraine's General Staff and Security Service (SBU), drone strikes were carried out on an air base storing Shahed drones in Primorsko-Akhtarsk, an electronics plant in Penza, and oil refineries in Ryazan and Samara regions.
The strikes resulted in a number of explosions and fires. In Ryazan, an oil refinery was struck, resulting in a large fire that was captured on social media videos and confirmed by local statements about debris falling on a nearby enterprise. The Novokuibyshevsky oil refinery in Samara Oblast also caught fire, with visible flames in videos, and local authorities confirmed a drone strike that led to disruptions and flight restrictions.
The Elektroprylad military plant in Penza reportedly suffered at least five explosions, though regional officials have not provided details on the extent of the damage. A military air base at Taganrog (Rostov Oblast) was also hit, damaging the 325th Air Repair Plant and a transport aviation regiment's base, along with related infrastructure such as a ship repair plant and an oil pumping station.
Russian authorities have acknowledged the drone attacks and interceptions, but have also indicated ongoing operational disruptions and damage at these strategic facilities. The industrial and military infrastructure targeted remains affected with active fires and operational shutdowns, and civil aviation restrictions indicate ongoing impact on those regions.
In a separate incident, Ukraine's military reported striking oil facilities in Russia, including a major refinery in Ryazan and the Annanefteprodukt oil storage facility in the Voronezh region. Ukraine's SBU intelligence agency also reported hitting the Primorsko-Akhtarsk military airfield, which has been used to launch long-range drones at targets in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Russia's defence ministry reported downing 45 of 53 Ukrainian drones launched towards its territory overnight. The Primorsko-Akhtarsk military airfield, which was targeted by Ukraine, has been used to launch long-range drones at targets in Ukraine, according to Ukraine's SBU intelligence agency.
In other news, Russian forces captured the village of Oleksandro-Kalynove in the Donetsk region on Saturday, according to its defence ministry. However, Reuters could not immediately verify this battlefield report.
The ongoing conflict has left Russia in control of almost 20% of Ukraine in its east and south after three-and-a-half years of grinding war. Ukraine has built up a fleet of long-range kamikaze drones for attacking targets many hundreds of kilometres away since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. The Ukrainian military's Unmanned Systems Forces did not specify how the facilities were hit, but they specialize in drone warfare, including long-range strikes.
- The ongoing war-and-conflicts between Ukraine and Russia have led to a significant escalation in politics and general news, as both countries continue to target each other's strategic facilities, such as oil refineries, military airfields, and electronics factories.
- The recent drone strikes on facilities in Russia, including the Primorsko-Akhtarsk military airfield, have become a focal point in the ongoing war-and-conflicts, raising questions about the use of drone warfare in political strategies and general news reporting.
