Russia Hit by Widespread Drone Attacks Targeting Key Infrastructure
12:41 PM EDT, March 12, 2024
According to "Kommersant," the incident caused a fire at one of the oil refining installations in the Nizhny Novgorod region.
Initial reports indicate that no injuries occurred, and employees at the facility were promptly evacuated. "Special services are currently on the scene, deploying all necessary resources to contain the blaze at the oil refining installation," Governor Gleb Nikitin shared on Telegram.
Another attack took place at a fuel base in the city of Oryol.
Drone raids across the nation
The Russian Ministry of Defense has announced the interception of 11 drones in the Kursk region, seven in the Belgorod region, and two in both the Moscow and Oryol regions. One additional drone is also in the Leningrad, Bryansk, and Tula regions. Moreover, officials from the Nizhny Novgorod and Voronezh regions have also reported drone activities.
"A drone attack in the Belgorod region caused a power outage in seven villages," Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov reported.
Recent reports have surfaced about drone strikes targeting vital facilities within Russia's military industry, including the Mikhailovsky Mining-Processing Combine in Zheleznogorsk, Kursk region, and the Severstal metallurgical plants in Cherepovets, Vologda region.
In the past few months, there has been a noticeable uptick in drone attacks against military, industrial, and technological targets within Russia, with Moscow attributing these operations to Kyiv. Independent experts highlight that some drone attacks, originating from within Russian territory, are hitting targets increasingly farther from Ukraine. Notably, on January 20, a liquefied gas terminal in Ust-Luga, near the Estonian border on the Baltic Sea, came under attack.
Drones have also been detected over Moscow and surrounding areas, leading to temporary airspace closures over local airports.
