Kyiv, Ukraine (AP) – A series of Ukrainian drone strikes have reportedly caused damage to industrial facilities and resulted in casualties across various regions of Russia, according to statements from officials on both sides. On Tuesday, a local official reported that a Ukrainian drone struck a Russian industrial plant located approximately 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) from the Ukrainian border. These attacks align with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s stated priority for developing advanced weaponry, while Russia, in June, launched a record number of drones against Ukraine.
The ongoing conflict, now in its third year since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, has witnessed a heightened arms race in drone technology. Both sides have actively engaged in improving and deploying increasingly sophisticated and lethal unmanned aerial vehicles. This has effectively transformed the battlefield into an expansive testing ground for new and evolving drone capabilities.
One of the reported significant attacks involved a Ukrainian drone hitting an industrial plant in Izhevsk, a city situated about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) east of Moscow. Alexander Brechalov, the head of the Udmurtia region, confirmed that this particular strike resulted in three fatalities and caused injuries to 35 individuals. Following the incident, workers at the affected facility were evacuated, as stated by Brechalov.
A Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) official, speaking anonymously due to restrictions on public commentary, identified the targeted facility as the Kupol Electromechanical Plant. This plant is known for its production of air defense systems and drones specifically for the Russian military. The SBU official further confirmed that at least two direct impacts were recorded on the plant’s buildings.
In a separate incident, a Ukrainian drone strike on Sunday targeted the southern Russian region of Saratov, killing one person and damaging three apartments, in addition to an industrial site, according to Governor Roman Busargin’s statement on the Telegram messaging app. Busargin reported that residents were evacuated after debris from a destroyed drone caused damage to three flats during the overnight attack. While aid was provided on-site for several residents who required medical assistance, one person was hospitalized, and regrettably, one person died, Busargin noted.
The Russian Defense Ministry stated that its air defense units intercepted 121 Ukrainian drones overnight, with eight of these being shot down over the Saratov region. The ministry’s official disclosures typically detail the number of drones successfully downed by defensive forces, rather than the total number launched. Ukrainian media outlets, including RBK-Ukraine, reported that the oil refinery in Saratov city, the administrative center of the region, was ablaze after a drone attack, though Reuters could not independently verify these specific reports.
According to industry sources cited by Reuters, the Rosneft-owned refinery in Saratov city had previously been forced to suspend operations earlier this year due to safety concerns following earlier Ukrainian drone attacks. The Russian SHOT Telegram channel, which often provides information from security services and law enforcement, reported that approximately eight explosions were heard over Saratov and Engels, two cities separated by the Volga River. Furthermore, Rosaviatsia, Russia’s civil aviation authority, indicated on Telegram that flights in and out of Saratov were temporarily halted for about two hours early on Sunday to ensure air safety.
Additional Ukrainian drone attacks on Tuesday led to fires at a gas facility and other industrial sites located hundreds of kilometers from one another within Russia. In the energy-rich Tatarstan region, a drone struck a gas storage tank near the city of Kazan, resulting in visible flames and thick smoke. Tatarstan local media specifically noted that a liquefied gas storage site near a chemical factory had been hit, accompanying their reports with images of the fire.
The local government in Tatarstan confirmed the incident via Telegram, stating, “A gas tank caught fire… following a drone attack,” and reported no casualties. Separately, in Engels, positioned more than 600 kilometers (373 miles) southwest of Kazan, “two industrial sites were damaged” as a result of a “massive drone attack,” as conveyed by regional governor Roman Bussargin on Telegram. One of these sites was reported to be on fire, and schools in Saratov and Engels transitioned to online classes on Tuesday in response to the attacks.
Ukraine has engaged in the use of domestically produced long-range drones for several months, targeting various strategic locations deep inside Russian territory. These targets have included plants, storage sites, and logistical hubs. As an example of previous long-range capabilities, Kyiv officials had claimed that in May of the previous year, a Ukrainian drone successfully struck an early-warning radar in the Russian city of Orsk, which is approximately 1,800 kilometers (1,120 miles) from the Ukrainian border. These strikes are consistently described by Ukraine as a form of “fair” retaliation against the ongoing Russian strikes on its own territory since the full-scale invasion commenced.
President Zelenskyy has consistently underscored the increasing importance of robust drone capabilities for Ukraine’s defense and offensive strategies. He conveyed on Telegram late Monday that Ukraine’s domestic production of drones is poised for a significant increase, specifically in response to Russia’s expanded aerial barrages. The priority is drones, interceptor drones and long-range strike drones,” Zelenskyy stated definitively, further emphasizing, “This is extremely important.
Zelenskyy elaborated on the strategic rationale behind Ukraine’s intensified drone production, noting, “Russia is investing in its unmanned capabilities, Russia is planning to increase the number of drones used in strikes against our state. We are preparing our countermeasures.” This highlights a clear pattern of reciprocal escalation in the development and deployment of unmanned aerial systems by both nations.
Official data collected and collated by The Associated Press reveals the scale of Russia’s recent aerial campaign, with a new monthly record of 5,438 drones launched at Ukraine last month. The continued intensity of Russian aerial assaults presents significant and persistent challenges for Ukrainian defenses. In one instance, four Russian Shahed drones struck the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia during the night, resulting in power outages for over 1,600 households, as confirmed by authorities.
Ukraine’s air force reported on Tuesday that Russia had launched 52 Shahed and decoy drones at the country overnight. In its defensive response, Ukraine’s air force stated that its air defense systems successfully downed 58 Iranian-designed drones launched by Russia. An additional 21 drones were either destroyed through electronic interference systems or crashed, according to the same report.
The ongoing conflict continues to exert severe pressure on Ukraine, particularly from a Russian military push along parts of the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line. Despite these sustained pressures, military analysts suggest that Ukraine’s defenses are largely holding firm. With recent U.S.-led international efforts to halt the fighting yielding no substantive progress in direct peace talks, both Russia and Ukraine continue to reinforce their respective arsenals.
The provision of crucial military aid to Ukraine faces ongoing uncertainty, particularly amidst discussions surrounding the potential policies of the incoming Trump administration. According to data compiled by Germany’s Kiel Institute, an organization that tracks international support, the United States allocated no new aid to Ukraine between March and April.
In a notable development, the Kiel Institute also reported last month that Europe’s total military aid to Ukraine has, for the first time since June 2022, surpassed that of the United States. Europe’s total commitment reached 72 billion euros ($85 billion), compared with 65 billion euros ($77 billion) from the U.S., marking a significant shift in the landscape of international financial support for Kyiv.
Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, who serves as U.S. President Donald Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, publicly criticized Russia for its continued targeting of civilian areas within Ukraine. Kellogg, in a statement posted on the social platform X late Monday, articulated a clear call: “We urge an immediate ceasefire and a move to trilateral talks to end the war.”
Kellogg further asserted his concern, stating, “Russia cannot continue to stall for time while it bombs civilian targets in Ukraine.” This statement reflects the persistent diplomatic challenges and frustrations associated with achieving a cessation of hostilities and advancing towards a peaceful resolution. The recent intensification of strikes from both sides also precedes the upcoming inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump, scheduled for next week.
Both Moscow and Kyiv have reportedly increased the frequency and intensity of their mutual strikes in the period leading up to the transition of the U.S. presidential administration. President-elect Trump has previously indicated his aim to conclude the nearly three-year conflict within “24 hours” once he assumes office. This declaration has generated apprehension in Ukraine, raising concerns that it might be pressured into making significant territorial concessions in exchange for peace.
Beyond the specific incidents highlighted, Andriy Kovalenko, the head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, conveyed on the Telegram messaging app that Tuesday’s target in Izhevsk was specifically a local plant involved in the production of Russian drones and air defense systems. Kovalenko further indicated that a total of five Russian cities had been targeted in the broader barrages, naming Engels, Saratov, Kazan, Bryansk, and Tula.
He further elaborated on the nature of the targets, specifying that oil refineries, oil depots, factories producing weapons components, and air defense systems were among the sites attacked. Kovalenko specifically claimed that the Orgsintez plant, identified as a weapons manufacturing facility in Kazan, had sustained “damage,” asserting its “direct importance to the Russian military-industrial complex.
A Ukrainian blogger who analyzes Russian strikes on Ukraine, operating under the name Nikolayevski Vanyok, characterized the recent overnight barrage on Russia as “probably one of the most effective” of the conflict. The blogger communicated on Telegram about “painful strikes on enemy military-industrial complexes and energy infrastructure in places that usually don’t get many strikes.”
While both Russia and Ukraine deny deliberately targeting civilians in their respective strikes, Kyiv consistently maintains that its attacks inside Russian territory are strategically aimed at dismantling infrastructure vital to Moscow’s war efforts. These include energy and military infrastructure, and are presented as a direct, necessary response to Russia’s continuous strikes on Ukrainian soil.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron held their first direct telephone conversation in nearly three years on Tuesday. According to a statement released on the Kremlin’s website, the two leaders engaged in discussions concerning the Iranian-Israeli war and American strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
The Kremlin statement additionally noted that Putin and Macron addressed the topic of a peaceful settlement to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. During this segment of their discussion, President Putin underscored that any future agreements should be “comprehensive and long-term” and, significantly, “based on new territorial realities.” Their previous direct talks had taken place in September 2022.
The situation on the ground remains highly volatile and fraught with human cost. A Ukrainian official in the Kharkiv region reported on Tuesday morning that a 52-year-old resident of the town of Kozachya Lopan had been tragically killed by Russian artillery fire. Simultaneously, city authorities in Pokrovsk, which is a primary Russian target in the eastern Donetsk region, reiterated a call on Tuesday for its remaining residents to evacuate the town, where approximately 60,000 people resided before Russia initiated its offensive in February 2022.
The escalating use of drone warfare by both sides, coupled with the persistent diplomatic impasse, highlights the complex and continuously evolving nature of the ongoing conflict. As military strategies and technologies continue to advance and adapt, the path toward future negotiations and the broader prospects for a lasting peace remain profoundly uncertain.
