Ukraine attacked six Russian regions with close to 80 drones overnight on March 13, with fires reported at an infrastructure site in Voronezh Oblast and an industrial plant in Kaluga Oblast, according to Russian authorities.
Kyiv has carried out regular long-range drone strikes against military and industrial facilities in Russia's rear, seeking to undermine its ability to wage its all-out war.
Russian air defenses downed 77 drones overnight, including 30 over Bryansk Oblast, 25 over Kaluga Oblast, six over Kursk and Voronezh oblasts each, and five over Rostov and Belgorod oblasts each, the Russian Defense Ministry claimed.
Drone wreckage set fire to a building of an industrial enterprise in Dzerzhinsky district in the northern part of Kaluga Oblast, Governor Vladislav Shapsha said. The fire has been extinguished, but one employee received a minor injury, the governor claimed.
Drone debris also reportedly damaged a cell tower and a power line in the Khvastovichsky district, the southernmost part of Kaluga Oblast.
Kaluga Oblast lies in the western part of Russia, bordering Moscow Oblast from the west.
An unspecified infrastructure facility was damaged in the evening of March 12 in Voronezh Oblast, a region bordering Ukraine's Luhansk Oblast, Governor Alexander Gusev said on his Telegram channel. No casualties were reported.
The targeted facility was part of the region's gas infrastructure, the Baza Telegram channel reported, citing residents.
A fallen drone also started a fire in the village of Kalininsky in Rostov Oblast, but the nearby industrial facility was not damaged, according to Governor Yuri Slyusar.
Airports in Penza, Saratov, and Volgograd imposed temporary flight restrictions overnight, Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency announced.
The full extent of possible damage is being determined. The Ukrainian military has not commented on the claims, which could not be independently verified.
The strikes come only two days after Ukraine launched what appears to be its largest drone strike against Russia, deploying over 330 drones across 10 different regions to attack oil facilities and other strategic sites.
Natalia Yermak
(Updated: )
