Ukraine launches drone attacks targeting Russian energy infrastructure, Ukraine special services source says

Ukraine launched attacks on eight Russian regions with long-range strike drones in the early hours of Saturday morning, targeting a fuel depot and power substations, according to a statement from a Ukrainian special services source.

Ukraine launched attacks on eight Russian regions with long-range strike drones in the early hours of Saturday morning, targeting a fuel depot and power substations, according to a statement from a Ukrainian special services source. The overnight attacks, which were confirmed by the Russian Defense Ministry, come amid a renewed effort by Moscow to disable Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and plunge its citizens into darkness, using the freezing temperatures as a weapon of war. “Russian Defense Ministry is complaining that dozens of Ukrainian drones popped up in some eight regions - Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Tula, Smolensk, Ryazan, Kaluga regions, and even Moscow region. At least three power substations and a fuel storage facility were damaged and caught fire,” the source said, adding that the attacks were part of a joint operation by the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU), Defence Intelligence, and the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The source added that the “energy infrastructure that feeds the Russian military-industrial facilities was the target. Some areas experienced troubles with power and water supply following the attacks.” Video shared on social media showed the aftermath of drone strikes on a fuel depot in Russia’s Smolensk region, which caught fire in the early hours of the morning. “At around 2 a.m. this morning, there was an attempted attack by Ukrainian UAVs on a fuel and energy facility in Kardymovsky district. Air defense forces shot down the aerial devices. Information on casualties is being clarified,” Smolensk regional governor Vasiliy Anokhin wrote on Telegram.