Drones struck a natural gas terminal in Russia’s Leningrad region and an oil refinery in Samara region on Aug. 24, the Russian Telegram news channel Astra reported, citing local reports and footage of the attacks.
The Kyiv Independent couldn’t immediately verify these claims.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed 95 Ukrainian drones were shot down over 13 regions, as well as occupied Crimea, on Aug. 24.
Ukrainian officials often say these drone strikes are intended to degrade Russia’s strike capabilities and bring the consequences of the war closer to those supporting the Kremlin’s aggression.
A large fire broke out at a Russian Novatek gas terminal located in the port city of Ust-Luga on the morning of Aug. 24, Astra reported. Leningrad region governor Alexander Drozdenko claimed that 10 drones were shot down in Ust-Luga, adding that there were no casualties.
Ust-Luga lies on the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland in Leningrad region, not far from the Estonian border and around 110 kilometers west of Russia’s second major city, St. Petersburg. It serves as a major gateway for Russian oil and gas exports.
Another strike reportedly occurred in the Russian city of Syzran, Samara region, where local authorities claimed an “industrial facility” was under attack.
According to the Telegram channel Astra, a large fire broke out at the Syzran oil refinery following nearly 20 explosions that were heard across the city.
Following the attacks, several Russian airports, including Pulkovo at St. Petersburg, temporarily suspended operations, delaying over 60 flights.
Earlier on Aug. 23, Russian air defenses intercepted a drone headed toward Moscow, according to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. He said fragments of the drone were being examined on the ground. No casualties were reported.
Ukraine regularly launches long-range drone attacks on industrial and military facilities in Russia. Oil refineries, which fund and fuel Moscow’s war machine, are frequent targets of these strikes.
The reports come as both U.S. President Donald Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky advocate for a negotiated resolution to Russia’s war, now in its 12th year. However, past efforts at peace talks have repeatedly broken down due to the Kremlin’s ultimatums and rigid demands.
Zelensky has continued to push for a direct meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin without preconditions, arguing that such a step could offer a real opportunity to bring the full-scale war to an end.
Read also: Pentagon has quietly barred Ukrainian long-range strikes in Russia with US missiles, WSJ reports
From The Kyiv Independent - News from Ukraine, Eastern Europe via this RSS feed