Ukrainian military forces conducted overnight drone operations targeting petroleum infrastructure across Russia and Russian-controlled territory, officials from both nations reported Monday, continuing Ukraine’s strategy of inflicting economic damage on Moscow through the conflict.
Moscow’s defense ministry reported intercepting 310 Ukrainian drones during the nighttime hours leading into Monday, with interceptions occurring across the Moscow area, western and southwestern Russian territories, Russian-held Crimea, and waters of the Black and Azov Seas.
In return, Russian forces launched 155 drones toward Ukraine, with Ukrainian air defense systems successfully downing or neutralizing 124 of those aircraft, Ukraine’s Air Force reported.
According to Ukraine’s General Staff, their forces successfully targeted Russia’s Krasnodar Krai region during the overnight operation. The military said they hit the Grushovaya oil transshipment base located near Novorossiysk. This facility represents one of southern Russia’s most significant hubs for transferring oil and petroleum products.
Local Russian authorities acknowledged that a Ukrainian drone ignited a blaze at the installation, though they reported no fatalities. Officials did not detail the scope of destruction but noted that 130 emergency responders and 39 pieces of equipment were deployed to extinguish the flames.
Ukrainian forces also targeted the Krasny Yar “linear production and dispatching station” in the Volgograd region, the General Staff reported. The strike caused a fire at the location, according to their statement. Russian Gov. Andrei Bocharov confirmed the incident without specifying the facility’s production activities, but noted no injuries occurred.
The overnight operations extended to the Semykolodezkaya oil base located in Russian-controlled Crimean Peninsula on Sunday evening, igniting fires at that installation as well.
This facility serves as storage for fuel supplies that support Russian military operations, according to information shared on Telegram.
Ukrainian military forces additionally targeted a petroleum depot located near Feodosia in Crimea, the General Staff confirmed.
In a separate incident, a Ukrainian drone struck a passenger train traveling from Moscow to Simferopol in occupied Crimean territory overnight, resulting in injuries to the operator and the death of the operator’s assistant, according to Kremlin-appointed regional leader Sergei Aksyonov’s early Monday report.
Aksyonov noted that passengers remained unharmed in the incident.
However, the attack prompted authorities to suspend all passenger rail operations throughout Crimea, with travelers being evacuated and substitute bus transportation arranged, Russian operator Grand Service Express announced on Telegram that morning.
