MOSCOW — Ukrainian forces launched a series of drone attacks on power plants and a refinery in the Moscow region and neighboring Tver, sparking fires, Russian officials reported on Sunday. Dozens of drones were reportedly destroyed across other parts of Russia as well.
The debris from the drones triggered fires at the Moscow Oil Refinery and the Konakovo Power Station in the Tver region, one of central Russia’s major energy producers, according to officials and local media.
Russia’s defense ministry stated on the Telegram messaging app that its air defense units had intercepted and destroyed 158 drones launched by Ukraine overnight. This included nine drones over Moscow and its surrounding region.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed that several drones had targeted the Moscow refinery, resulting in a fire that was being contained in a “separate technical room” at the facility.
Russia’s TASS news agency, quoting fire emergency officials, reported that the fire at the Moscow Oil Refinery was classified with the highest level of complexity, potentially requiring additional rescue units. The refinery, located in the southeast of Moscow, is owned by Gazprom Neft, the oil subsidiary of Russian energy giant Gazprom, which declined to comment.
Meanwhile, the Baza Telegram news channel, which has ties to Russia’s security services, reported hearing loud explosions near the Konakovo power plant. Tver Governor Igor Rudenya confirmed there was a fire in the town of Konakovo but stated that electricity and gas supplies remained uninterrupted, though he did not specify the source of the fire.
Ukraine also reportedly attempted to strike the Kashira Power Plant in the Moscow region with three drones, as noted by Mikhail Shuvalov, head of the Kashira city district. However, there was no reported damage, fire, or casualties from this attempt, and electricity supply continued without issues.
Additionally, the Russian defense ministry reported that drones were intercepted over several regions, including 46 over Kursk, 34 over Bryansk, 28 over Voronezh, and 14 over Belgorod. Drones were also downed over Kaluga, Lipetsk, Ryazan, and several other regions. No injuries were reported from any of these attacks, according to preliminary information.
Reuters has not independently verified the reports, and there was no immediate response from Ukraine. The full extent of the damage from Ukraine’s air attacks is rarely disclosed by Russia.
Kyiv is pushing for permission from the United States to use allied-supplied weapons to strike deeper into Russian territory. As Ukraine’s domestic drone industry rapidly expands, it has increased its attacks on Russian energy, military, and transportation infrastructure — key sectors supporting Moscow’s war efforts.
While Kyiv has been using drones for these strikes, it argues for access to more powerful Western-supplied weapons to cause more significant damage within Russia, aiming to weaken Moscow’s ability to continue its military operations against Ukraine, which it invaded in February 2022.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s senior officials were in Washington last week, appealing to the United States for “capabilities to truly and fully” protect Ukraine.