A Ukrainian drone strike targeted an oil refinery in Kstovo, Russia, approximately 800 kilometers (500 miles) from the front lines, marking the second attack on Russian energy infrastructure within a week.
Four drones struck a Lukoil depot, causing significant damage, according to Ukrainian media reports. Videos circulating on social media showed large flames engulfing the industrial facility.
Gleb Nikitin, governor of the Nizhny Novgorod region, confirmed that drone debris fell in the industrial zone but reported no casualties. Separately, Smolensk regional governor Vasily Anokhin stated that a “massive” drone assault targeted civilian infrastructure, though no injuries were immediately reported. He also claimed one drone was intercepted while attempting to strike a nuclear power facility, a claim that has not been independently verified.
In the Belgorod region, near the Ukrainian border, a mother and her toddler were killed in an attack, while a father and his child were wounded, according to regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov.
The strikes on Kstovo, Smolensk, and Belgorod were part of a broader overnight assault in which Russia reported downing more than 100 Ukrainian drones. The attacks also temporarily shut down operations at airports in St. Petersburg and Kazan.
This marks one of Ukraine’s largest drone operations since the war began. It follows a similar attack on Friday, when Ukrainian drones hit another Russian oil refinery and targeted Moscow with at least 121 drones.
Meanwhile, Moscow launched its own overnight air assault, prompting air raid alerts across Ukraine. Ukrainian military officials reported shooting down 29 Russian drones across nine regions.
As the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion approaches, fighting continues. Russian forces are making incremental advances in eastern Ukraine, moving closer to the strategic city of Pokrovsk, a key logistics hub for Ukrainian troops.
In contrast, Ukrainian forces maintain control over several hundred square kilometers of territory in Russia’s western Kursk region, where they launched a rapid counteroffensive in August.
