Ukrainian Drone Assaults Disrupt Utilities in Central and Southern Russia

Ukrainian drone assaults resulted in disruptions to power and heating supplies in the Oryol region of central Russia and the southern Rostov region, according to reports from local officials early Friday.

Governor Andrei Klychkov of Oryol stated, “An attack by the enemy has compromised utility infrastructure in the city of Oryol,” noting that maintenance efforts in the regional hub may lead to temporary outages of electricity and hot water in certain areas.

Later, Klychkov mentioned that schools in one district of Oryol would shift to online learning in response to the utility service interruptions.

The Telegram channel Astra reported that the Orlovskaya thermal power plant was impacted during the nighttime assault, though this information has not been officially verified.

In the Rostov region, Governor Yury Slyusar reported that several homes and industrial facilities were left without power after a utility building briefly ignited and a high-voltage power line was damaged in Rostov-on-Don.

Slyusar added that two villages in the area also experienced power outages.

Meanwhile, in the Samara region, Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev indicated that “enemy drones targeted industrial facilities” in the automotive centers of Tolyatti and Novokuibyshevsk.

Unverified reports from Telegram channels suggested that the target in Tolyatti was TolyattiAzot, which is among the largest ammonia manufacturers in Russia and worldwide. The Moscow Times has not been able to independently corroborate these claims.

There have been no reports of injuries or fatalities resulting from the drone strikes.

Russia’s Defense Ministry announced that its air defense systems intercepted 94 Ukrainian drones across seven regions, as well as over the Caspian and Azov seas overnight.

The Ministry indicated that 36 drones were downed in the Rostov region and six in the Samara region, with no drones reported in the Oryol region.