Ukrainian Drone Barrage Kills Two, Hits Russian Infrastructure
MOSCOW- Ukraine launched a large-scale overnight drone attack on Russia early Monday, killing two people, igniting fires and damaging buildings in several regions, while President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian forces had struck energy and export infrastructure far behind the front line.
Russian authorities said air defences intercepted 276 drones during the attack, which targeted multiple regions including Rostov, Belgorod, Yaroslavl and Udmurtia. The strikes came as Kyiv continues to expand long-range operations against Russian military and economic assets more than four years into the war.
President Zelensky said Ukrainian forces had successfully struck an export terminal in Russia’s western Rostov region, about 250 kilometres from the frontline. In a social media post, he also said Ukrainian drones targeted oil facilities in the Yaroslavl region and the Udmurt Republic, roughly 1,300 kilometres from Ukraine’s border.
Regional governors in Rostov, Yaroslavl and Udmurtia confirmed overnight drone attacks but did not report damage to oil infrastructure identified by Zelensky.
Rostov region Governor Yuri Slyusar said an overnight air attack killed two people, identifying the victims as a married couple in the regional capital, Rostov-on-Don. He later said the strikes ignited warehouse fires and damaged several buildings, including a homeless shelter.
In Russia’s Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, regional authorities said Ukrainian drones wounded 12 people, among them two children. Officials added that an apartment building caught fire during the attacks.
The latest strikes underscore Ukraine’s growing reliance on long-range drone operations aimed at disrupting Russian logistics and energy infrastructure. Kyiv has intensified such attacks in recent months as part of efforts to increase pressure on Moscow while the conflict continues without a negotiated settlement.
Russia also carried out attacks on Ukraine overnight. Regional officials said Russian strikes wounded at least four people, including an 88-year-old woman who suffered extensive burn injuries.
The exchange of long-range attacks follows months of escalating aerial warfare between the two countries. According to the United Nations, last month was the deadliest for civilians in Ukraine since April 2022, as Russia increased long-range missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian towns and cities.
The war, now in its fifth year, has seen both sides expand the range and frequency of drone operations, with attacks increasingly targeting infrastructure and urban areas far from the active front lines.
