A large-scale Ukrainian drone attack on Crimea early Friday caused a power outage in Sevastopol and ignited a refinery fire in southern Russia, according to Russian authorities.
These drone strikes represent Kyiv's counteroffensive amid Moscow's intensified assault in northeastern Ukraine. This escalation adds pressure on the outnumbered and under-equipped Ukrainian forces awaiting delayed shipments of essential weapons and ammunition from Western allies.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported that air defenses shot down 51 Ukrainian drones over Crimea, another 44 over the Krasnodar region, and six over the Belgorod region. Additionally, Russian warplanes and patrol boats destroyed six sea drones in the Black Sea.
Mikhail Razvozhayev, governor of Sevastopol, which hosts Russia's Black Sea Fleet, said the drone attack damaged the city's power plant, potentially taking a day to restore electricity. He announced temporary school closures in the city.
Previous Ukrainian strikes had damaged aircraft and a fuel storage facility at Belbek air base near Sevastopol, as shown in satellite images released by Maxar Technologies.
In Krasnodar, a drone attack early Friday caused a fire at an oil refinery in Tuapse, which was later contained without any casualties.
Ukraine has frequently targeted refineries and other energy infrastructure deep within Russia, inflicting significant damage.
Ukrainian drones also struck Novorossiysk, a key Black Sea port. Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratyev reported that fragments from downed drones caused several fires but resulted in no casualties.
In Belgorod, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov stated that a Ukrainian drone hit a vehicle, killing a woman and her 4-year-old child. Another drone set a fuel reservoir ablaze at a gas station.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces are battling to repel Russian advances in the northeastern Kharkiv region that started late last week.
The town of Vovchansk, just 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the Russian border, has been a focal point of recent clashes. Ukrainian authorities have evacuated approximately 8,000 civilians from the town. The Russian military often uses a strategy of devastating towns and villages with aerial strikes before advancing ground units.
Russia is also probing defenses along the 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line that stretches from north to south through eastern Ukraine. This front has remained largely static over the past 18 months in a grueling war of attrition. Recent Russian offensives have targeted the eastern Donetsk region, as well as the northern Chernihiv and Sumy regions, and the southern Zaporizhzhia region, aiming to stretch Ukraine's depleted resources and exploit any vulnerabilities.
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