Ukraine launched a large-scale drone attack on six Russian regions overnight on March 13, sparking fires at an infrastructure site in Voronezh Oblast and an industrial plant in Kaluga Oblast, according to Russian officials.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that air defenses intercepted 77 of the drones, with 30 shot down over Bryansk Oblast, 25 over Kaluga Oblast, six each over Kursk and Voronezh oblasts, and five each over Rostov and Belgorod oblasts.
Despite these reported interceptions, drone debris reportedly ignited a fire at an industrial enterprise in Kaluga Oblast’s Dzerzhinsky district, causing minor injuries to an employee, according to Governor Vladislav Shapsha. Additional drone wreckage damaged a cell tower and a power line in the region’s Khvastovichsky district.
In Voronezh Oblast, an unspecified infrastructure facility sustained damage in the evening of March 12, Governor Alexander Gusev reported. The Baza Telegram channel, citing residents, claimed the target was linked to the region’s gas infrastructure.
Meanwhile, in Rostov Oblast, a fallen drone ignited a fire in the village of Kalininsky, but an industrial site nearby was reportedly unharmed, Governor Yuri Slyusar said.
As a precautionary measure, airports in Penza, Saratov and Volgograd imposed temporary flight restrictions, Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency announced.
Kyiv has not commented on the strikes, which follow Ukraine’s massive March 11 drone offensive that saw over 330 drones targeting military and industrial sites across 10 Russian regions. The full extent of the damage from the latest attack remains unclear.
RELATED CONTENT: Ukraine can’t win with drones alone, but what if they don’t have to?
Post Image: Servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine prepare a Shark drone
produced by the Ukrainian company Ukrspecsystems for launch. October 30, 2023 (Post Image Credit: Image Bank of the War in Ukraine)
