A Ukrainian drone attack targeted Russian fuel facilities in the regions of Volgograd and Astrakhan in the early hours of Monday morning, according to local media reports.
Videos circulating on social media appear to show fuel facilities ablaze.
Newsweek has contacted the Kremlin for comment by email.
Why It Matters
Ukraine has ramped up drone strikes on facilities in Russia that play a role in facilitating the country’s war efforts. These targets include airfields, military plants, ammunition depots and warehouses, and also oil hubs and refineries, which have supplied President Vladimir Putin’s military with fuel in the ongoing conflict.
The latest attack is likely part of Ukraine’s efforts to hinder Putin’s ability to wage his nearly three-year-old war.
What To Know
Ukraine’s drone barrage targeted a gas processing plant near the city of Astrakhan, and an oil refinery in Volgograd, officials said.
The ASTRA Telegram channel, a project run by independent Russian journalists, said the gas processing plant near Astrakhan was evacuated after a drone approached the facility.
Astrakhan Governor Igor Babushkin said a fire had erupted after Ukrainian drones attempted to strike energy facilities in the region. There were no casualties, he added.
The plant, which began operations in 1985, is one of Russia’s largest gas chemical complexes.
In Volgograd, residents reported at least 50 explosions overnight, and almost all were shot down in the area of a local oil refinery. It belongs to Russian oil giant Lukoil, reported the Baza Telegram channel, which is linked to Russia’s security services.
Several districts lost power as a result of the drone attack, ASTRA said.
Ukrainian attack drones successfully hit Russia’s Volgograd Oil Refinery tonight, exploding and igniting major fires.
NASA’s FIRMS orbital fire monitoring system shows multiple large fires across the complex. pic.twitter.com/J2tNpdtz2e
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) February 3, 2025
According to Ukrainian organization Militarnyi, NASA’s FIRMS service said a fire broke out at the facility at 1:26 a.m.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense said on Telegram that its air defense systems downed 70 Ukrainian drones over Russian soil overnight, including 27 over the Rostov region, 25 over the Volgograd region, and seven over the Astrakhan region. Newsweek has yet to verify this.
What People Are Saying
Astrakhan Governor Igor Babushkin said on Telegram: “Last night, the Ukrainian Armed Forces attempted to attack objects located in the region with drones, including the fuel and energy complex.
“Electronic warfare and air defense systems operated normally. When one of the drones fell, a fire broke out. There were no casualties.”
Volgograd Governor Andrey Bocharov said: “The air defense forces of the defense ministry repelled a massive attack by aircraft-type drones on the territory of the Volgograd region.”
What Happens Next
Ukrainian attacks on Russian military and industrial facilities will likely continue as the war enters its fourth year later this month.
Ukraine and Russia are both pushing to make battlefield gains ahead of potential peace talks that could be brokered during U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term in the White House.
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