At least one civilian lost their life and energy infrastructure was compromised in two Russian regions as Ukrainian drones targeted several locations overnight, according to reports from officials and the media on Thursday.
In the southern region of Russia, Governor Andrei Bocharov of Volgograd stated that a 48-year-old man died from shrapnel wounds in a 24-story residential building amid a “massive” assault on the area. He noted that debris from the drones also ignited a fire at an industrial site in the Krasnoarmeiskyi district, where the Volgograd oil refinery, Lukoil’s largest facility in southern Russia, is located.
The Ukrainian military announced that they successfully struck the Volgograd refinery, which has an annual crude processing capacity of about 15.7 million tons. Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that they intercepted 49 of the 75 Ukrainian drones targeting the Volgograd region.
Additionally, Ukraine’s General Staff indicated that their forces had targeted fuel storage facilities in annexed Crimea as well as a drone storage location near the Donetsk airport.
Civil aviation authorities revealed that 13 Russian airports suspended their operations during the drone assault.
In the Kostroma region, located northeast of Moscow, Governor Sergei Sitnikov reported that emergency responders were managing the aftermath of drone attacks in Volgorechensk, which is home to one of Russia’s leading electricity producers, the Kostroma Power Station.
The independent news outlet Astra shared and analyzed images that appeared to show a fire at the plant’s gas distribution facility, pointing to the likelihood of the site being struck by at least two drones. Sitnikov confirmed that there were no disruptions to electricity supplies and no injuries were reported.
The Russian Defense Ministry did not state that any drones were shot down or intercepted in the Kostroma region.
Neither side’s claims regarding battlefield events could be independently verified.
Kyiv claims that the increase in cross-border drone strikes targeting Russia’s energy and logistical infrastructure is intended to weaken Moscow’s military efforts. The head of Ukraine’s security service recently stated that there have been over 160 strikes on Russian oil facilities so far in 2025. Western analysts estimate that these attacks have impacted 16 significant refineries, accounting for around 38% of Russia’s refining capacity, inflicting substantial but not crippling damage.
The International Energy Agency assesses that these attacks have reduced Russia’s refining output by approximately 500,000 barrels per day.
