Russia plays down overnight strikes as its forces make incremental gains in Donbas and launch missiles at Kharkiv
Ukraine has carried out one of its biggest ever drone attacks on Russia, with videos showing a series of explosions and fires at power stations and refineries including in Moscow.
Russia’s defence ministry downplayed the overnight strikes. It said it had intercepted and destroyed 158 unmanned enemy aerial vehicles. These were shot down over 15 regions, it claimed.
The Ukrainian strikes came as Russia claimed further incremental gains in the eastern Donbas region, where its forces have been making a slow, grinding advance in recent weeks.
Footage posted on Telegram channels suggested some of the long-range Ukrainian drones hit their targets, causing damage. At least one struck an oil refinery in the Kapotnya district in south-east Moscow.
/1. Moscow oil refinery was targeted by drones tonight. pic.twitter.com/zEwRvLueAB— Special Kherson Cat ???????????? (@bayraktar_1love) September 1, 2024
More drones hit a thermal power station in the Tver region, north of Moscow. There was an explosion at the Konakovo station, one of the biggest in Russia, soon after dawn at about 5am. An orange fireball engulfed several transformers.
Another coal-fired power plant at Kashira in Moscow oblast was also reportedly hit. The extent of the damage was unclear. Three drones were allegedly used. Russian officials said others crossed into the Voronezh, Tula, Kaluga, Bryansk, Belgorod, Lipetsk and Kursk regions.
Oh wow, so you’re telling me striking critical infrastructure is a game two can play?
Ukraine has had yet another massive drone attack on Russia, one of the largest ever.
Given the fact that Russian air defenses are so weak in areas beyond immediate war zones (even in Moscow!),… pic.
