Ukrainian drones targeted energy infrastructure in at least two regions of western Russia overnight, Russian regional authorities said early Thursday, coming just a day after Kyiv reportedly attacked oil refineries inside the country.
“The Oryol region was once again attacked by enemy drones,” Oryol region Governor Andrei Klychkov said shortly after midnight on Thursday.
Klychkov said energy infrastructure had been damaged “during neutralization” of the Ukrainian drone, which led to temporary power outages in two regional districts.
The Oryol region does not share a border with Ukraine, though its westernmost point is located around 60 kilometers east of northeastern Ukraine’s Sumy region.
Meanwhile, in Russia’s Smolensk region, which borders Belarus, Governor Vasily Anokhin said Ukrainian drones “attempted to damage a civilian energy infrastructure facility.” He said emergency services were responding to the incident.
The Astra Telegram news channel posted a video of what was said to be a fire caused by the drone attack in the Smolensk region, adding that eyewitnesses had heard a series of explosions during the night.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said Thursday that its air defense forces had either destroyed or intercepted 12 Ukrainian drones over the Bryansk, Kursk, Belgorod, Rostov, and Krasnodar regions. It did not mention the attacks in the Oryol and Smolensk regions.
The reported strikes on Russian energy facilities come a day after Ukrainian media reports, citing anonymous security sources, claimed that Kyiv struck at least two oil refineries inside Russia as part of a special intelligence operation.
The Moscow Times could not independently verify those reports. Russian authorities have not yet commented on the alleged refinery attacks.
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