Ukrainian drones reach deep inside Russia as battle for key city rages on

Ukrainian drones struck deep into Russian territory early Tuesday, targeting an industrial plant some 1,300 kilometers inside Russia, as Ukrainian forces continued their desperate defense of the strategic eastern city of Pokrovsk.

Regional Governor Radiy Habirov of Bashkortostan reported that two drones targeted an industrial facility in Sterlitamak, claiming both were shot down with no casualties. However, local administration officials separately acknowledged an explosion at the Sterlitamak Petrochemical Plant that partially collapsed a water treatment facility, though they did not specify the cause.

The petrochemical complex, which produces rubber and aviation fuel, has not previously been a target in the conflict. This marks one of the deepest strikes into Russian territory since the war began, demonstrating Ukraine’s expanding capability to hit targets far beyond the border regions.

In a separate incident, Russian media reported explosions near industrial areas in the Nizhny Novgorod region, approximately 800 kilometers from Ukraine. The area houses both an oil refinery and a petrochemical plant, though officials have not confirmed details of any damage.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed its forces intercepted 85 Ukrainian drones overnight across multiple regions, including Bashkortostan and Nizhny Novgorod.

Ukraine’s long-range drone campaign has increasingly focused on Russian industrial infrastructure, particularly targeting oil refineries and military logistics centers. These strikes aim to disrupt Russia’s war machine by degrading its ability to produce and transport fuel and other essential supplies to the front lines.

The attacks have proven embarrassing for Moscow, with Russian officials often reluctant to acknowledge the full extent of damage from such deep strikes. For Russian civilians, the drone campaign has shattered the illusion that the war would remain confined to Ukraine and border regions.

While Ukraine pressed its drone offensive, Russian forces continued their bombardment of Ukrainian territory. Officials in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region reported that overnight Russian attacks using drones, missiles, and artillery killed one person and wounded eleven others, including two children.

Ukraine’s air force stated that Russia launched seven missiles of various types and 130 strike and decoy drones during the nighttime assault.

The conflict also continues to risk wider regional escalation. Romania’s Defense Ministry reported that Russian forces conducted two overnight attacks on Ukraine’s Danube port infrastructure near the Romanian border. The NATO member country deployed fighter jets from two different airbases after “numerous explosions were observed on the Ukrainian shore.”

On the battlefield, the situation remains critical around Pokrovsk, a key Ukrainian stronghold in the Donetsk region. Russian forces have intensified their efforts to capture the city in recent months, with the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War noting that Russian troops “continue to advance in the Pokrovsk direction and appear to be operating with increasing comfort within Pokrovsk itself.”

The fall of Pokrovsk would represent a significant setback for Ukrainian forces, as the city serves as a crucial logistics hub for Ukraine’s eastern defense operations. Russian capture of the city would further consolidate Moscow’s control over the Donetsk region, which has been a primary objective since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

As the war approaches its third year, Ukraine’s strategy of striking deep inside Russia with domestically produced drones represents an attempt to compensate for its disadvantage in conventional military power and raise the cost of the war for Moscow.