Ukraine launches drone attacks on oil and chemical facilities in multiple Russian regions, causing fires and disruptions

The Russian authorities reported Ukrainian drone attacks across several regions on Monday night, including the Saratov, Voronezh, and Oryol regions, as well as Tatarstan.

In the cities of Engels and Saratov, two industrial facilities were damaged, according to Governor Roman Busargin. He confirmed there were no casualties, but the extent of the damage remains unclear. The Telegram channel Ostorozhno, Novosti reported that the target in Engels was an oil depot, which eyewitnesses said was hit at least twice, sparking a fire. The Ukrainian military claimed that the depot was the same one targeted in an attack last week, and that the new strike set fire to fuel tanks for Tu-160 bombers.

The previous attack on an Engels oil depot occurred on the night of January 7–8, sparking a fire that took several days to extinguish. It’s unclear whether the facility hit on Monday night was indeed the same one.

Busargin announced that schools in Saratov and Engels will hold class remotely on Tuesday.

In Kazan, drones reportedly struck a Gazprom liquefied gas facility. Local authorities confirmed that one oil tanker caught fire, while Telegram channels reported that three were ignited.

Tatarstan Governor Rustam Minnikhanov said that he visited the site of the fire and that there were no casualties or significant damage. He added that businesses in the area were operating as usual.

Andrey Klychkov, the governor of Oryol, also reported a large-scale drone attack. He stated that 17 drones were shot down over the region. He added that there were no casualties or infrastructure damage.

The Voronezh region was also targeted, with Governor Alexander Gusev reporting that several drones were shot down overnight, though there were no casualties or damage.

The Tula region was struck late on Monday evening. Governor Dmitry Milyaev reported that several cars and outbuildings in the city of Alekhin were damaged by drone debris. He also stated that a total of 17 drones were destroyed over the Tula region during the night.

According to anonymous sources quoted by the Telegram channel Astra, the Aleksinsky chemical plant, the Tulachermet steel plant, and the Aleksinskaya thermal power plant were attacked during the night, with one military serviceman injured.

Bryansk Governor Alexander Bogomaz reported that the Ukrainian military attempted a “combined missile strike” in the region on Monday evening, but that Russian air defense forces destroyed all targets, causing no casualties.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Unmanned Systems Forces later reported that the strike targeted the Bryansk chemical plant in Seltso, which produces explosives and components for Russian defense industry missiles and munitions.

Around 6:30 a.m. Moscow time, Russia's federal airline regulator, Rosaviatsia, announced temporary flight restrictions at airports in Kazan, Kaluga, Saratov, and Tambov. Less than an hour later, the restrictions in Kaluga and Tambov were lifted, but new restrictions were introduced at the airports in Penza and Ulyanov.

The Russian Defense Ministry has not yet officially commented on Monday night’s attacks.