Ukrainian drones killed at least two civilians in Russia on Sunday and set another oil refinery on fire, according to local Russian officials, as Ukraine continues sending drone swarms into Russian territory on a daily basis.
According to the Russian news agency TASS, a civilian was killed in Russia’s Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, and another was killed by falling debris in the southern Krasnodar region, where drones also set a local refinery on fire.
On the Ukrainian side, Ukrainian officials reported that at least four civilians were killed by Russian attacks. In the southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, strikes killed two people, including a 53-year-old woman.
The latest exchange of attacks came two days after Ukraine launched one of its largest drone swarms of the war, with the Russian Defense Ministry reporting that more than 660 drones were shot down over 12 Russian regions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday acknowledged that Russia had begun using its fuel reserves amid Ukraine’s intensified attacks on its oil infrastructure. He added that Russia’s gasoline reserves stand at about 1.7 million tons, down 4% from last year.
“I’ll add that previously accumulated fuel volumes have entered the domestic market,” Putin said, according to the Anadolu Agency. “However, despite the fact that we’ve begun using these reserves, gasoline reserves are currently almost at the same level as last year.”
While Ukraine’s intensified drone attacks have had an impact on Russia’s energy supplies, they haven’t changed the situation on the frontline, where Russian forces continue to make slow but steady gains. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on Sunday that its forces captured two more villages in Zaporizhzhia.
Ukraine’s drone attacks always risk an escalation between Russia and NATO since they are known to be supported by US and NATO intelligence.
