Ukrainian drone attacks spark series of explosions
In a series of coordinated drone attacks since late July and early August 2025, multiple Russian regions, including Samara, Penza, Ryazan, and Rostov, have been targeted. These attacks have resulted in damage to industrial and oil-processing facilities, as well as civilian casualties.
In Penza, a drone strike hit an industrial enterprise, leading to the death of one woman and the wounding of two others. The Ukrainian Security Service confirmed attacks on an Elektroprylad military plant in Penza and reported strikes on oil refineries, indicating impact on oil-processing infrastructure there.
Samara region experienced a drone strike that caused a house fire due to falling drone debris, resulting in the death of an elderly man. Additionally, an industrial facility in Novokuybyshevsk (Samara region) was hit, leading to temporary disruptions including mobile internet shutdown and airport flight restrictions.
In Rostov, a guard was killed after a drone strike caused a fire at an industrial site. Ryazan region reported fires linked to drone activity.
According to Russian defense sources, over 100 Ukrainian drones have been intercepted or destroyed across eight Russian regions during these attacks. However, the Russian Defense Ministry's report did not specify which regions were affected or provide details about the nature or extent of the damage caused by the downed drones.
Authorities in Samara, Penza, and Ryazan have confirmed drone attacks but provided no details. Ukrainian leadership has stated that they are targeting Russian military logistics in the rear, including fuel depots, ammunition storage, and transportation routes, with drone attacks.
Governor Pavel Malkov of Ryazan asked not to publish pictures to avoid helping the enemy. Two people died in drone attacks in the regions of Penza and Rostov, according to authorities. A woman was killed in a drone attack on a company in the Penza region, according to Penza's governor, Oleg Melnitschenko. A man guarding an unnamed company building in the Rostov region died in a drone attack, according to Rostov's governor, Yuri Sljussar.
A video circulating on social media shows a massive explosion and fireball at an oil-processing plant near Samara on the Volga, but the Russian Defense Ministry's report does not mention this incident. The report from the Russian Defense Ministry does not contradict the earlier reports of explosions in oil-processing facilities in Samara, Penza, and Ryazan, but it does not confirm them either.
[1] https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-claims-drone-attack-on-russian-oil-refinery-2021-08-09/ [2] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61753241 [3] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/09/ukraine-claims-drone-attack-on-russian-oil-refinery-in-saratov-region
- The conflicts between Ukraine and Russia have extended to war-and-conflicts in politics and general-news, as evidenced by the drone attacks on multiple Russian regions.
- Crime-and-justice have been a concerning aspect of these conflicts, with civilians and guards killed in drone attacks on industrial facilities and oil refineries in Samara, Penza, Rostov, Ryazan, and other regions.
