There have been attacks in mainlandRussia as a result of theRussian invasion of Ukraine, which began on 24 February 2022. The main targets have beenthe military, thearms industry and theoil industry. Many of the attacks have beendrone strikes, firebombing, andrail sabotage. The Ukrainian intelligence services have acknowledged carrying out some of these attacks. Others have been carried out byanti-war activists in Russia. There have also been cross-border shelling, missile strikes, and covert raids from Ukraine, mainly inBelgorod,Kursk, andBryanskoblasts. Several times, Ukrainian-based paramilitaries launched incursions into Russia, captured border villages and battled the Russian military. These were carried out by units made up mainly ofRussian emigrants. While Ukraine supported these ground incursions, it denied direct involvement.
In August 2024, the Ukrainian military launched anoffensive into Kursk Oblast and captured numerous settlements. It was the biggest attack into Russia since the war began and the first carried out primarily by Ukrainian regular forces.
On 29 March, local officials reported a series of explosions outside the city ofBelgorod, close to the border withUkraine. It was later reported that those explosions may have been caused by a fire.[7]
April 2022
On 1 April 2022, according to regional governorVyacheslav Gladkov and an unnamed US official, two UkrainianMi-24 helicopters attacked and set fire to a fuel depot in Belgorod in a low-altitude airstrike with no reported casualties.[8][9][10] Ukraine denied and dismissed the event as Russian propaganda.[11][12] Ukrainian security officialOleksiy Danilov denied Ukraine was behind the helicopter attack,[13][12] with a joke in which he blamed the "People's Republic of Belgorod" instead.[14][15][16] On the same day, a rocket exploded in a different part of the oblast, but its apparent trajectory and model led open-source researchers to suspect it was a failed Russian missile.[17]
On 14 April 2022, theFSB border service reported that on 13 April, a border checkpoint nearNovye Yurkovichi,Bryansk Oblast came under mortar fire from Ukraine while a group of around 30 Ukrainian refugees headed for Russia was present there. According to the official claims, two automobiles were damaged but no injuries were documented.[20][21][22][23]
On the same day, regional and municipal authorities stated that Ukraine had shelled the village ofSpodaryushino (nearMokraya Orlovka) inBelgorod Oblast, causing several explosions. While no injuries occurred, the village's population was temporarily evacuated, out of concerns about a possible escalation. A neighboring settlement also had its population relocated.[24]Governor of Belgorod OblastVyacheslav Gladkov said that the attack "had come from the Ukrainian side."[21] In a separate alleged attack a resident of Zhuravlyovka was injured, according to Gladkov.[25][26]
Also on 14 April, theInvestigative Committee of Russia said Ukrainian attack helicopters had launched six missile strikes on residential areas in the town ofKlimovo,Bryansk Oblast, damaging six buildings.[27][28] Officials at theRussian Health Ministry said that seven people had been injured, two of which had been hurt seriously.[28] According to personnel at the city's hospital, among those injured were a pregnant woman and a two-year-old child.[22][21] According toRadio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, an unverified video of a house in Bryansk burningwent viral on the internet.[22] The next day, Russian security services claimed they had shot down aMil Mi-8 helicopter during the incident.[29]
On 15 April, Russia launched major missile strikes on the Ukrainian capitalKyiv in retaliation for alleged cross-border attacks.[29] The Russian strikes were the largest of their kind to take place since Russia aborted its 2022Kyiv offensive.[30]
Ukraine rejected claims that it was responsible for the 14 April 2022 attacks, instead asserting that Russian intelligence services were trying to "carry out terrorist acts to whip up anti-Ukrainian hysteria" in the country.[31][28] After the attack, theSecurity Service of Ukraine released what it claimed were intercepted conversations between Russian soldiers showing that Russia deliberately fired on the villages in order to blame Ukraine. One of the alleged soldiers refers to theRussian apartment bombings in 1999 where he says that the "same shit happened in the Chechen war. Apartments were blown up in Moscow, like they were terrorists. In fact, they are FSB officers".[32] Ukrainian interior ministry advisorAnton Herashchenko said that something "fell and caught fire" at a Russian military facility, without explicitly confirming or denying Ukrainian responsibility.[23]
On 19 April, Belgorod's governor accused Ukrainian forces of striking the village ofGolovchino, damaging more than 30 houses and lightly wounding 3 residents.[33] On 25 April, according to the Belgorod governor, at least two residents, a man and a woman, were injured in Zhuravlyovka as a result of shelling.[34]
On the same day, another attack happened inBryansk: in the morning, two large explosions and fires occurred at two oil facilities, a civilian one and a military one. Videos and images posted on social media showed large columns of black smoke several hours after the initial explosions. An analyst toldThe Guardian that the fires were likely an act ofsabotage by Ukraine, although responsibility remained uncertain.[35][36] Unconfirmed reports in the Russian media suggested the fires could have been caused by adrone attack; on the same day, twoBayraktar TB2 drones were reportedly shot down inBryansk Oblast.[37]
On 29–30 April, a border checkpoint near Krupets inRylsky District of Kursk Oblast was repeatedly shelled, according to the governor. The Bryansk governor said that his region was shelled as well.[38][39]
May 2022
On 11 May, the Belgorod governor claimed thatSolokhi was shelled from Ukraine. According to him, one person was killed and seven were injured as a result of the incident.[40] Videos online also showed damage to stores and private houses, local officials reportedly began evacuating the village after the attack.[41] The deceased was identified as Ruslan Nefyodov, aged 18.[42]
On 15 May, Gladkov said that one person was injured with a shrapnel wound inSereda [ru] after a Ukrainian strike,[43] as 10 shells were reportedly shot down by Russian air defense systems. Another 10 shells fell close toNovostroyevka-Vtoraya [ru], while another round of eight artillery shells reportedly damaged a power line and a number of farming structures in Zhuravlyovka.[44]
On 17 May, Gladkov claimed that one more person was slightly injured inBezymeno as it was shelled from the territory of Ukraine.[45] Kursk governor said that the border checkpoint atTyotkino had been shelled once again on the same day, no victims were reported.[45] On 18 May, Gladkov declared that Solokhi was shelled again, and one person was reportedly injured.[46] Kursk governor Starovoyt reported thatAlekseevka, Glushkovsky District [ru], was shelled.[47] On 19 May, Starovoyt claimed that a distillery in Tyotkino was shelled, a truck driver died, and at least one civilian was wounded.[48][49][50] On the same day, Alekseevka andDronovka [ru] were reportedly shelled.[51]
On 25 May, Gladkov claimed that one person was wounded inZhuravlyovka as it was shelled "from the territory of Ukraine".[52] Zhuravlyovka andNekhoteyevka were subject to continuous shelling on 26 May. A woman died from her wounds in the hospital the next day.[53][54][55] On 26 May, Starovoyt said thatVorozhba, Sudzhansky District [ru] came under shelling "from the Ukrainian side", and a local school teacher was wounded by broken glass.[56]
June–July 2022
On 6 June, a bridge at Tyotkino was shelled, damaging it. Near the bridge, a block of apartments was badly damaged, a car was burnt out and the localsugar refinery suffered some damage.[57]
Klintsy and its surrounding regions in Bryansk Oblast were shelled for three days straight beginning on 12 June. The first two days of attacks were more minor incidents targeting military bases, with little to no casualties. On 14 June a helicopter fired missiles at residential areas in the city, damaging dozens of houses and ripping a woman's leg off.[58] Authorities recorded six injuries on 14 June.[59] As a result of the attacks, Klintsy and the surrounding region was left without water and electricity.[60]
TheCombat Organization of Anarcho-Communists sabotaged a railway line near Moscow on 25 June, to hinder the supply of equipment to a military base. They issued a statement online saying: "Every stopped train means less shells and rockets to fly into peaceful Ukrainian cities ... We call on everyone to join therail war!".[62]
On 3 July, officials said that a group of explosions targeting civilian areas in Belgorod had killed at least five people and injured four, several buildings and private houses were damaged or destroyed, anti-aircraft defense systems reportedly activated, but one projectile hit an apartment building.[63][64] Russia blamed Ukraine for the attack and Defence Ministry spokesmanIgor Konashenkov said that Russia had shot down three UkrainianTochka Uballistic missiles armed withcluster warheads. Ukraine denied it was responsible.[65][66][67]
September–October 2022
A civilian was killed and two hospitalized after shelling hit the town ofValuyki inBelgorod Oblast on 15 September, according to regional authorities.[68][69] Earlier, Russian authorities had reported that a border checkpoint on Nekhoteevka was attacked and that the customs terminal had caught on fire.[70]
On 11 October, an explosion was reported at an electric substation in Shebekino; some residents were left without energy.[71] On 15 October, new explosions were reported in Belgorod; an oil depot reportedly caught on fire.[72] On 16 October, explosions were reported at an airport in Belgorod; videos online show anti-aircraft systems firing and smoke rising on the airport after an apparent missile strike, with two people reportedly being wounded.[73]
November 2022
On 1 November, the settlement of Krasnooktyabrsky inGlushkovsky District was reportedly shelled by Ukrainian forces; no injuries were reported, a five-story building was damaged and several windows were blown. Another attack was reported in Kozynka; one person was reportedly wounded in the shelling.[74] On 2 November, 5 civilians, including 3 children, were reportedly injured after shells hit the village ofGuyevo,Sudzhansky District. Several private houses and stores were damaged in the attack; the village was left without electricity as power lines were either destroyed or damaged following the explosions.[75]
On 14 November, Russian media reported several blasts in the Belgorod region.[76] On 15 November, 2 civilians were killed and 3 injured by shelling in Shebekino, Belgorod Oblast; the shells reportedly hit apartment buildings and a nearby pharmacy.[77] The governor of Belgorod said that an 80-year-old woman died of her wounds in the hospital and that a man was killed and another was injured by parts of a missile that was shot down by air defense.[78] On 16 November, in the village of Stalnoy Kon,Oryol Oblast, anunmanned aerial vehicle reportedly attacked an oil depot; no casualties were reported.
On 17 December, explosions were reported in Belgorod, a local resident's car was reportedly damaged by a fragment of ammunition debris.[83] On 18 December, explosions were reported again in Belgorod, officials claimed that they were the result of anti-aircraft fire; several cars and houses were damaged by debris, 4 people were wounded in the city itself, and 1 person was killed in the suburbs, local Telegram channels also posted images showing thick black smoke rising over the city.[84]
More explosions were reported elsewhere in Belgorod Oblast, a poultry farm was reportedly hit; 2 people, including 1 employee of the farm, died as a result of the explosions, 3 other employees were also wounded during the alleged attack, local Telegram channels showed videos allegedly showing the aftermath of the attack.[84] On 25 December, three soldiers were killed in another attack on Engels air base.[85]
On 11 February, the Governor of the Belgorod Oblast reported that UkrainianGrad missiles had hit the city ofShebekino, and that as a result of the attack, three men had been wounded, one building of an industrial enterprise had been destroyed and a bus stop, as well as three private cars, had been damaged. Another attack with Grad rockets was reported later, with local authorities claiming that the missiles had hit two private houses, one of which caught on fire as result of the strike.[87]
On 22 February, regional authorities reported that two people had been injured by shelling in Shebekino, and that three houses were damaged from shelling inPervoye Tseplyayevo.[88] On February 28, aRosneft oil depot inTuapse,Krasnodar Krai, caught on fire after an alleged drone attack. Locals reported several explosions in the depot, which local officials blamed on two drones that allegedly crashed into the terminal and exploded. The boiler room was reportedly damaged, although the local government denied any damage to the facility's oil tanks; there were no victims, and the fire was quickly extinguished.[89] On the same day, an FSB border service observation tower was damaged by an UAV, allegedly from Ukraine.[90]
On 4 March, a drone carrying an improvised explosive device attacked a substation of the Transneft-Druzhba oil pipeline in Belgorod Oblast. Four people were evacuated, but no injuries were reported.[91] On 6 March, more attacks were reported in Kursk and Belgorod Oblasts. Starovoyt claimed the village of Iskra suffered power outages after energy facilities reported damages during the attack. According to Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, in the town ofNovy Oskol, although three missiles were shot down, one civilian was injured and several buildings in the town were damaged, in addition to power outages.[92]
On 15 March, two missiles were downed by air defense systems over the city of Belgorod, according to Belgorod Oblast Governor Gladkov, with no injuries or damage reported.[93] On 27 March, a drone attacked a gas station in Belgorod late in the evening; no casualties were reported.[94]
April 2023
On 6 April, an drone with several cameras crashed in theFakel Machine-Building Design Bureau inKhimki,Moscow Oblast; the drone was allegedly downed by communication jammers, and was found by security guards patrolling the region.[95] On 9 April, Belgorod Governor Gladkov claimed that Ukrainian forces had shelled the border town ofVoznesenovka, Shebekinsky District; two houses and one farm were damaged by shells, but no casualties were reported.[96]
On 10 April, a drone carrying a bomb crashed into a fence at Belgorod airport, no casualties were reported, but the explosion damaged the airport's fence and alarm system.[97] On 16 April, a drone attacked anelectrical substation in Belgorod, no casualties were reported.[98]
On 3 May, Russia said it had shot down two drones over theMoscow Kremlin and accused Ukraine of sending them to assassinate President Vladimir Putin.[99] The Ukrainian government denied the accusations, calling them fabricated.[100] Also on 3 May, several explosions and a fire were reported early on the morning at thePort of Taman, near the village of Volna, Krasnodar Krai, images show flames and smoke over what is believed to be large fuel tanks, no casualties were reported, Russian media outlets blamed the explosions and subsequent fire on an alleged Ukrainian drone attack; the port is about 15 km from theCrimean Bridge and is used as a logistic hub for operations in Southern Ukraine.[101]
Another attack was reported on the same day in Bryansk Oblast, where five Ukrainian drones allegedly attacked a military airfield. Two drones reportedly hit their targets on the airfield, whereas two were destroyed and one was not found. No casualties were reported, and one unoperated An-124 military transport aircraft was slightly damaged during the attack, according to local media outlets.[102]
On 4 May, early in the morning, an unidentified drone struck the territory of the military unit No. 45117 in the town of Buturlinovka, Voronezh Oblast; this was followed by another alleged Ukrainian drone attack at the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in the village of Kiselyovka, Rostov Oblast; the drone crashed and exploded at the Refinery's inter-shop flyover, which was under construction. The fire was quickly put out and no casualties were reported.[103]
On 10 May, an unidentified drone struck an administrative building inStarodub, Bryansk Oblast; another drone also dropped an explosive device on theKlintsy oil depot (owned by Rosneft) in Bryansk proper on 11 May. The concrete base and oil products storage tank were partially damaged, while no casualties were reported; regional governor Alexander Bogomaz blamed Ukraine for the attacks.[104] On 14 May, an unidentified drone dropped an explosive device on the roof of a military warehouse inSuzemka District of Bryansk Oblast, near the border with Ukraine; there were no casualties, although some of the equipment there was damaged.[105]
On 15 May, a drone allegedly crashed into a border post in Bryansk Oblast in the evening, injuring five border guards. Another attack was also reported in Sudzhansky District of Kursk Oblast; according to Governor Starovoyt, an drone dropped a bomb on a working excavator, inflicting minor injuries on the operator.[106] On 30 May, Moscowwas attacked by drones.[107]
June–July 2023
Damage on theIQ-quarter housing government offices caused by a Ukrainian drone strike in Moscow, 30 July 2023
9 June: three people were reportedly injured when a drone struck a building in the city ofVoronezh.[108]
19 June: the governor of Belgorod Oblast claimed that seven people were injured by shelling inValuyki.[109]
30 July: A Ukrainian drone strike on Moscow damaged theIQ-quarter andOKO skyscrapers of theMIBC and led to an hour-long suspension of operations atVnukovo International Airport. The Russian military claimed to have intercepted three drones, two of which hit the buildings.[116]
31 July: a police station in Bryansk Oblast was reportedly hit by a drone.[117]
August 2023
1 August:
Several drones were shot down over Moscow, but one struck the IQ-quarter, which housed federal government offices. Vnukovo Airport was briefly closed again.[118][119]
A military recruitment office in St Petersburg was set on fire by a man who claimed to have been contacted by the FSB to "gain access to documents sent to Ukraine". Russian media said it was the ninth such attack on recruitment centers across the country in recent days, which authorities attributed to "phone scammers".[120]
20 August: A drone reportedly set fire to the roof ofKursk railway station, injuring five people.[129] More drones were downed in Rostov Oblast, Belgorod and Moscow, forcing the closure ofVnukovo andDomodedovo airports.[130][131]
22 August: Two drones were shot down near Moscow, with one hitting a 25-story building inKrasnogorsk, and forcing the closure of the city's major airports. Two other drones were shot down over Bryansk Oblast.[133]
23 August: The Governor of Belgorod Oblast said that a drone struck a sanatorium in the village ofLavy, killing three. Another drone was downed over central Moscow, crashing into a high-rise building under construction, and forcing the closure of the city's airports.[134][135]
25 August: The Russian Defense Ministry said it shot down anS-200 missile near Shaykovka military airbase in Kaluga Oblast. Explosions were also reported inTula Oblast.[136]
26 August: Another drone was shot down near Moscow,[137] prompting the closure of the city's airports.[138] The governor of Belgorod Oblast claimed that a drone killed one person in the village ofShchetinovka,[139] and that Ukrainian shelling damaged buildings and injured four in the village ofUrazovo,[140]
27 August: theSecurity Service of Ukraine (SBU) said it launched sixteen drones in an overnight attack on a military airbase inKursk Oblast, which destroyed four RussianSu-30 fighter jets and oneMIG-29, and damaged anti-aircraft systems.[141]
30 August: Ukraine reportedly launched a wave of drone strikes overnight on six regions in western Russia. One struckPskov Airport, near the Estonian border, destroying twoIlyushin Il-76 transport aircraft and damaging two others. The raid was launched from within Russia, according toKyrylo Budanov, head of the UkrainianHUR.[142][143] Ukrainian officials, who did not claim responsibility for the attacks, claimed that a fuel depot inKaluga and a microelectronics factory inBryansk were also struck.[144]
September 2023
1 September: A drone reportedly damaged a factory that made components forrockets inLyubertsy,Moscow Oblast,[145] forcing the closure of airports in the area. At least two buildings were reportedly damaged in another drone strike inKurchatov,Kursk Oblast.[146]
2 September: the governor of Belgorod Oblast claimed that Ukrainian shelling killed one person inUrazovo.[147]
7 September: Another wave of drone attacks was reported across Russia. InRostov-on-Don, three buildings were damaged in a reported strike by two drones at the headquarters of theSouthern Military District. Another drone fell on a military base inVolgograd Oblast,[148] the first such incident in the region, while another drone started a fire at an industrial facility inBryansk.[149]
17 September: a drone damaged an oil depot inOryol.[150]
20 September: a fuel storage tank caught fire nearSochi airport following a suspected drone strike.[152]
24 September: The governor of Kursk Oblast claimed that a government building was damaged by a Ukrainian drone inKursk city.[153] Ukrainian military intelligence claimed that a drone strike on theKhalino air field in the same region killed or wounded the commander and other officers of the Russian 14th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment.[154]
29 September: Russian officials said Ukrainian drones dropped explosives on an electrical substation in the village ofBelaya inKursk Oblast, cutting power to five settlements. A dozen other drones were reportedly shot down over Belgorod, Kursk and Kaluga Oblasts.[155] A radar station nearGiryi, Kursk Oblast was reportedly destroyed by a drone.[156]
October 2023
1 October: Ukrainian exploding drones reportedly struckAdler airbase inSochi and an aircraft factory operated by the state-run Tactical Missile Armament corporation inSmolensk.[157]
4 October: Russia claimed to have shot down 31 Ukrainian drones during an overnight raid on its western border regions.[158] A RussianS-400 missile system was reportedly struck by drones near Belgorod.[159]
7 October: One person was reportedly killed by Ukrainian shelling inUrazovo, Belgorod Oblast. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed to have destroyed threeTochka-U missiles over the region and thwarted a drone attack on Moscow.[160]
10 October: A couple was reportedly killed by Ukrainian shelling inPopovka, Belgorod Oblast.[161] A Russian conscript was killed while five other soldiers were wounded in an attack inGudovka, Bryansk Oblast.[162]
12 October: two people were reportedly killed in a house fire caused by falling drone wreckage in Belgorod Oblast.[163]
15 October: Russia claimed to have shot down 27 drones over Kursk and Belgorod Oblasts.[164] An attack on an energy facility inKrasnaya Yaruga, Belgorod Oblast, caused blackouts in the area.[165]
18 October: Russia said it had shot down 28 drones over Kursk and Belgorod Oblasts as well as over theBlack Sea.[166] A military camp nearKhalino airbase inKursk was reportedly struck by drones launched by Ukraine's SBU.[167]
26 October: Russia claimed that three drones tried to attack the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant.[168] The FSB claimed to have killed a man in a shootout inTver, who was working for Ukrainian intelligence.[169]
29 October: A drone caused a fire at the Afipsky oil refinery nearNovorossiysk.[170] Ukrainian media reported that the attack was organized by the SBU.[171]
November 2023
3 November: Ukrainian military intelligence said that a car belonging to Igor Kuznetsov, the CEO of the Russian arms manufacturerGosNIImash, was set on fire inNizhniy Novgorod by members of the "resistance movement".[172]
11 November: The governor of Belgorod Oblast said that three houses, power lines and five railway carriages were damaged in a Ukrainian drone and missile strike onValuyki.[173] A freight train was derailed inRybnoye, Ryazan Oblast, which officials blamed on an improvised explosive device.[174][175]
14 November: A munitions factory inSeltso, Bryansk Oblast was reportedly damaged by a Ukrainian drone, while other drones were shot down in Moscow,Tambov, and Oryol Oblasts.[176]
26 November: Following a Russian drone wave attack on Kyiv, Russian forces downed 24 Ukrainian drones overMoscow Oblast,Tula Oblast,Kaluga Oblast,Smolensk Oblast andBryansk Oblast. One civilian was injured in Tula when a downed drone struck an apartment building. Flights from major Moscow airports were halted.[177] A "booster" from a RussianPantsir missile system smashed into a wall of a two-story home in Moscow.[178]
29 November: a warehouse storingShahed drones in Bryansk was reportedly attacked by Ukrainian drones.[179]
30 November: Ukrainian media reported that the SBU was behind a series of explosions targeting a freight train at theSeveromuysky Tunnel, Russia's longest railway tunnel, in the far eastern republic ofBuryatia. Separately, Ukrainian military intelligence claimed responsibility for a series of sabotage attacks on railway infrastructure in Moscow Oblast.[180]
1 January 2024: there were explosions reported in Belgorod once again. On 2 January, Belgorod was reportedly shelled several times.[181][182][183] A Russian bomber dropped a bomb ontoPetropavlovka,Voronezh Oblast due to an "emergency" and caused widespread damage.[184][185]
5 January: The HUR said that it had launched a cross-border raid into theGrayvoronsky District of Belgorod Oblast in Russia, mining a road and inflicting casualties on a Russian platoon.[187]
In January 2024, Ukrainian drone strikes began targetingoil and gas terminals in Russia. Ukrainian journalistIllia Ponomarenko said that "Russia finances its military from oil exports. You can't persuade countries like India and China to stop buying it. So you knock out Russian oil refineries."[188]
9 January: A fuel depot and another energy facility inOryol Oblast were reportedly attacked by Ukrainian drones, injuring three people.[189] A woman was claimed killed in another attack on the border village ofGornal in Kursk Oblast.[190]
18 January: A Ukrainian drone was shot down overVasilevsky Island inSaint Petersburg; the first aerial attack on the city since the invasion began. The drone crashed into St Petersburg Oil Terminal. Reportedly, three kilograms of high explosives detonated, burning an area of some 130 square metres. A drone also flew over one of Putin's official residences inValday,Novgorod Oblast, while another was shot down over Moscow. A source from Ukraine's security service acknowledged responsibility.[191][192]
19 January: Anoil depot inKlintsy,Bryansk Oblast, was struck in a Ukrainian drone strike,[193][194][195][196] starting a fire covering an area of some 1,000 square metres.[197][198] The authorities in Bryansk reported no casualties at the time and the Bryansk governor claimed the drone was intercepted near the town ofKlintsy and its explosives then fell on the oil depot. Another drone was reported to have struck a gunpowder factory inTambov.[199][200]
31 January: A drone crashed into the grounds of the Nevsky Mazut oil refinery in St Petersburg, causing an explosion and fire.[204] Russian media blamed the blast on aS-400 missile that was fired at a drone but lost control, crashing into the refinery. All flights from St Petersburg'sPulkovo Airport were suspended.[205]
February 2024
Volgograd oil refinery
3 February:Volgograd Refinery inVolgograd Oblast, operated byLukoil, was set on fire in a drone attack. The regional governor said a drone crashed into the refinery after being shot down or jammed.[206]
9 February: Russia claimed to have shot down 19 drones over the Black Sea, Krasnodar Krai and in Kursk, Bryansk, and Oryol Oblasts. One of the drones was reported to have started a fire within the premises of the Ilsky oil refinery in Krasnodar Krai.[207][208]
15 February: Russian authorities claimed that Ukrainefired several missiles at Belgorod. They said that fourteen missiles were shot down but one hit and "heavily damaged" a shopping centre in Belgorod city, killing seven people.[209][210] Russia claimed the missiles were fired from anRM-70 multiple rocket launcher.[211] An oil refinery in Kursk Oblast was set on fire by a Ukrainian drone strike, according to local officials.[212]
2 March: A drone crashed into a five-storey apartment block in St Petersburg. Residents were evacuated and there were no casualties. Russian media outlets reported that it may have been a Ukrainian drone, shot down as it headed towards a nearby fuel depot.[219]
4 March: The HUR claimed responsibility for blowing up a railway bridge in Russia'sSamara Oblast, which was used to transport military cargo.[220]
5 March: The HUR claimed responsibility for a drone strike on an oil depot in theGubkinsky District of Belgorod Oblast.[221]
6 March: There were drone strikes on Mikhailovsky Mining and Processing Plant and a warehouse inZheleznogorsky District of Kursk Oblast. "Several Ukrainian media outlets wrote, citing their sources, that the attack on the Mikhailovsky plant was an operation of Ukrainian intelligence services".[222]
8 March: Two people were reportedly killed and a third wounded during Ukrainian drone attacks onRozhdestvenka, Belgorod Oblast, which came after the Russian Defense Ministry announced it downed several drones over the region.[223]
9 March: Russia claimed to have downed some 47 Ukrainian drones, mostly overRostov Oblast, as well as over Volgograd, Belgorod and Kursk Oblasts. TheBeriev Aircraft Company inTaganrog was damaged in the strikes.[224]
10 March: A woman was killed and her husband wounded by Ukrainian shelling of Kulbaki, according to the regional governor,[225] who also said that a fire broke out at an oil depot following the downing of a drone.[226] Another drone was shot down in Leningrad Oblast.[227]
11 March: A drone struck the administration building in Belgorod city,[228] another caused a power outage in Belgorod Oblast, while Russian authorities said that drone strikes caused fires at oil depots inNizhny Novgorod andOryol Oblasts.[229] Several other drones were reportedly shot down over Moscow, Leningrad, Bryansk, Kursk, Tula and Voronezh Oblasts.[230]
13 March: Russian forces claimed to have shot down some 60 drones over the country. Drones set fire toRosneft'sRyazan Refinery inRyazan, the seventh largest in Russia. Another drone was shot down over theKirishi-2 Oil Refinery, Russia's second largest. Thirty drones were shot down over Voronezh Oblast, causing "minor damage". In Belgorod Oblast, drone wreckage cut power and a gas pipeline.[231]
April 2024
2 April: Ukrainian drones struck industrial facilities in the Russian republic ofTatarstan, more than 1,300 km (807 miles) from the Ukrainian border. One hit theYelabuga drone factory, causing "significant damage" according to Ukrainian officials.[232] A local Russian official denied any damage to the factory. Russian media reported a nearby workers' dormitory was damaged, injuring twelve workers.[233] Another drone struck theTatneft oil refinery inNizhnekamsk, causing a fire. The strikes were carried out with light aircraft converted intokamikaze drones.[234]
5 April: Ukraine launched a barrage of drones into western Russia, targeting four airbases. Ukrainian officials said at least six military aircraft were destroyed, eight others were "heavily damaged",[235][236] and at least 20 personnel were killed or injured ata military airbase nearMorozovsk,Rostov Oblast.[236][237] Security sources reported the airbase heldSu-27 andSu-34 aircraft,[237] while anopen-source intelligence researcher reported the base also held threeSu-35 aircraft.[238] Rostov Oblast GovernorVasily Golubev claimed Russia downed 44 Ukrainian drones and that only a 16-storey residential block[237] and power substation were damaged.[235][236] Eight people were later injured by one of the fallen drone's explosives detonating during an investigation of the site.[237] Drones were also launched atEngels-2 airbase inSaratov Oblast, reportedly home toTu-95 andTu-22 bombers. The attack allegedly caused "serious damage" to three Tu-95MS bombers and killed seven people.[239]Yeysk Airport, which hosts the aviation units of the4th Army of theRussian Air Force, was also allegedly struck, with twoSu-25 aircraft destroyed.[239] Local officials denied any damage.[238] TheInstitute for the Study of War found no visual evidence of Russian aircraft being hit at the airbases.[240]
7 April: Ukraine's HUR said its operatives set fire to a Russian missile ship, theBuyan-class corvetteSerpukhov, while it was docked inKaliningrad Oblast. It was the first such attack on the Russian Navy in theBaltic Sea during the war.[241][242]
9 April: Russian forces claimed to have intercepted aNeptune missile near the Crimean coast.[243]
9–10 April: The Russian governor ofBryansk Oblast said two people were killed by Ukrainian shelling inKlimovo,[244] while the governor of Kursk Oblast said three people (including two children) were killed in a Ukrainian drone strike on a car inKorenevsky District.[245]
16 April: The SBU said it destroyed a RussianNebo-U radar system in a drone strike inBryansk Oblast.[246]
17 April: Ukrainian media reported that the HUR launched drone strikes on a radar system in the Russian republic ofMordovia and a factory making bomber aircraft inTatarstan.[247][248]
19 April: A RussianTu-22M3 long range strategic bomber crashed inStavropol Krai while returning to base, killing one crew member, with another missing. Ukraine's HUR claimed to have shot it down, at a range of 308 km, with anS-200 missile. Russian authorities claimed the aircraft crashed due to a technical malfunction.[249][250]
26 April: Ukrainian media reported that the HUR carried out an operation that destroyed a RussianKa-32 helicopter inOstafyevo Airport, Moscow.[251]
6 May: The governor of Belgorod Oblast said that eight factory workers were killed and 35 others were wounded in a Ukrainian drone strike that hit three vehicles in the village ofBerezovka.[259][260]
9 May: The governor of Belgorod Oblast said that eight people were injured in a Ukrainian airstrike inBelgorod city.[261] A drone attack onKrasnodar also set a fuel depot on fire.[262] Another drone struck an oil refinery inSalavat; the first such attack in the Russian republic ofBashkortostan.[263] The drone was a light aircraft that travelled some 1,500 km.[264][265]
11 May: Russian officials said that five people were killed and nine injured by drone strikes in Belgorod and Kursk oblasts.[266]
12 May: Russian officials said that16 people were killed and 27 others were injured when wreckage of a downedTochka-U missile struck an apartment building in Belgorod.[267][268] However, independent military experts considered this version unlikely, noting that the building was hit on its northeastern side, which is not facing Ukrainian territory. They said that the origin of the explosion was probably a Russian surface-to-air missile, or a Russian guided aerial bomb dropped accidentally.[269][270][271]
14 May: Russian state media reported that a drone strike derailed a freight train atKotluban station in Volgograd Oblast. A storage tank carrying diesel caught fire, another exploded and nine rail cars were derailed. No injuries were reported.[272][273]
26 May: A Ukrainian drone attacked the Voronezh M long-range radar station nearOrsk in Russia'sOrenburg Oblast near the Kazakhstan–Russia border.[275]
31 May: Ukraine launchedNeptune missiles and drones at a ferry crossing and an oil depot inPort Kavkaz, Krasnodar Krai. Various sources reported three petroleum storage tanks were damaged and a fire broke out. Additional facilities at the Kavkaz port were damaged, including a train. A power substation connected to the Crimean Bridge was also damaged.[276][277] Russian authorities claimed that two people were injured in the attack on the depot.[278]
June 2024
1 June: Ukraine reportedly firedHIMARS rockets into Russia for the first time. Russian officials said that 10 HIMARS rockets were shot down over Belgorod Oblast.[279] On 3 June, a Russian S-300/400 missile system was destroyed by HIMARS rockets in Belgorod.[280]
6 June: there were several explosions and a fire at the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery, which the governor of Rostov Oblast claimed was caused by a drone attack.[281]
8 June: The HUR claimed to have damaged two RussianSu-57 fighter jets for the first time using drones, during a strike on theAkhtubinsk air base in Astrakhan Oblast.[282] Imagery released by the HUR as well as a Telegram channel close to the Russian Aerospace Forces confirmed that one Su-57 was damaged.[283] Russia claimed to have shot down three Ukrainian drones targeting an air base nearMozdok, in the first such attack inNorth Ossetia-Alania since the war began.[284]
14 June: The HUR said that two RussianSu-34s were damaged in a Ukrainian drone strike on theMorozovsk air base in Rostov Oblast, with unconfirmed reports of Russian six pilots killed and 10 soldiers wounded.[285] Russian officials also said that drones struck power plants in Rostov and Voronezh Oblasts.[286][287]
15 June: the governor of Belgorod Oblast claimed that five people were killed by Ukrainian shelling inShebekino.[288]
17 June: Ukraine launched a drone attack on western Russia, with the HUR claiming to have struck a metallurgical plant and military production facilities in Belgorod, Voronezh, and Lipetsk Oblasts.[289]
20 June: Russian media reported an attack by Ukrainian drones on theAfipsky oil refinery in Krasnodar Krai,[290] as well as in oil depots inTambov Oblast andEnem,Adygea. Authorities also claimed that drones were shot down over Bryansk, Rostov, Belgorod and Oryol Oblasts.[291] One person was killed in a drone strike inSlavyansk-on-Kuban.[292]
21 June: Russia said that Ukraine launched over 100 drones at Crimea, Krasnodar Krai, and Volgograd Oblast. Russia's Defense Ministry said that 43 drones were shot down over Krasnodar Krai, a further 70 over Crimea and one in Volgograd. Russian officials claimed one person in Krasnodar Krai was killed and six injured. Reports suggested that a fire broke out at the Ilya refinery in Krasnodar Krai. TheYeysk air base, also in Krasnodar Krai, was attacked.[293] Ukraine said that aNeptune missile was used to strike the Shahed drone depot and training facility in Krasnodar.[294]
25 June: The HUR claimed to have blown up a Russian ammunition depot in Voronezh Oblast.[295] The governor of Belgorod Oblast claimed that one person was killed in a drone strike.[296]
28 June: the governor of Tambov Oblast said that an oil depot was set on fire by a drone strike.[297]
29 June: Russian officials said that five people, including two children, were killed in a Ukrainian drone strike inGorodishche, Kursk Oblast.[298]
July 2024
9 July: Russia claimed to have shot down 38 drones over Belgorod, Voronezh, Astrakhan, Kursk, and Rostov oblasts. An oil depot was set on fire inKalach-na-Donu, Volgograd Oblast, along with two power substations. Russian sources claimed one killed and two injured in Belgorod Oblast.[299][300] Ukrainian drones also struck a Russian missile testing facility atKapustin Yar.[301][302]
13 July: the governor of Rostov Oblast said an oil depot was set on fire by a drone strike inTsimlyansky District.[303]
17 July: the governor of Belgorod Oblast said that two people were killed in a drone strike on the border village ofTserkovny.[304]
20 July: Sixteen explosions and several fires were reported nearMillerovo air base in Rostov Oblast, following a drone strike.[306]
21 July: The HUR said it carried out sabotage at theRussian Helicopters facility in Moscow, damaging three helicopters: an Mi-8, an Mi-28a, and a Ka-226.[307]
23 July: the governor of Krasnodar Krai said that a Ukrainian drone attack on a ferry inPort Kavkaz killed one person and started a fire onboard.[308]
24 July: AGRU officer and his wife were wounded by a bomb planted under their car in Moscow.[309]
25 July: the governor of Belgorod Oblast said one person was killed and two others were injured by Ukrainian shelling inShebekino.[310]
27 July: Ukrainian drones reportedly struck theOlenya air base inMurmansk Oblast, some 1,800 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, damaging two Tu-22M3s. Engels and Dyagilevo airfields were also attacked, along with an oil refinery in Ryazan.[311]
31 July: Russian forces claimed to have intercepted aNeptune missile and 19 drones over Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Kaluga, and Rostov oblasts. The acting governor of Kursk,Alexei Smirnov, said that a facility caught fire after midnight. Ukraine said it was a "storage facility for weapons and military equipment". Fires at two military facilities south ofKursk Vostochny Airport were detected byNASA'sFIRMS.[313][314][315]
August 2024
3 August: A major drone attack was made onMorozovsk air base with locals posting multiple large explosions, including secondary explosions.[316][317]
8 August: TheLipetsk air base was struck by a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack that caused numerous explosions and fires and reportedly injured six people.[318][319][320]
14 August: One of the most massive UAV attacks on Russian territory was carried out, with 117 drones being used. Of these, 11 drones hit theSavasleyka air base in theNizhny Novgorod Oblast, which became the most massive attack since the beginning of hostilities.[321]Governor of Nizhny Novgorod OblastGleb Nikitin said that all targets were shot down by the air defense system, there were no destructions or losses.[322]
18 August: An attack on an oil depot inProletarsk, approximately 250 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, resulted in a massive multi-day fire at the extensivepetroleum tank farm.[323][324] The tank farm was still burning on 23 August 2024,[325][326] while Ukrainian Armed Forces struck it again on that day.[327][328]
21 August: Russia announced it had intercepted 11 Ukrainian attack drones heading towards Moscow.[329]
22 August:Marinovka air base was attacked by Ukrainian drones, resulting in explosions and a fire at the air base.[330][331]
26 August: During an attack on theOmsk refinery, an explosion and subsequent fire[332] destroyed the crude distillation unit CDU-11, one of the "two largest primary refining units at the plant" responsible for roughly one-third of plant capacity.[333]
28 August: The Atlas oil depot, located in the Kamenski District ofRostov Oblast, wasattacked. This depot is a division of theFederal Agency for State Reserves in the Southern Federal District, specializing in supplying petroleum products to theRussian Armed Forces.[334][335] A second drone attack on the depot occurred late in the day, renewing the "powerful blaze".[336]
28 August: The Zenit oil depot, inKotelnich,Kirov Oblast, wasattacked. This facility is located more than 1200 kilometers away from the Ukrainian border.[336][337]
NASAFIRMS imagery from 21 September showing the extensive fire near Oktyabrsky with first detections at 00:18:00 (UTC) and the still ongoing fire from theattack east of Toropets three days before
10 September: Ukraine launched 144 drones against Moscow in the largest drone attack against Russia in the war, with Russian authorities reporting dozens of homes being damaged and two people killed by the attack.[340][341]
18 September: In the early morning, Ukraine launcheda successful drone attack on theGRAU 107th Ammunition Depot inToropets, causing a massive series of explosions and fires which damaged much of the town.[342][343] The attack resulted in an earthquake-magnitude blast, and NASAFIRMS satellites detected the resulting fires over an area of approximately 13 km2 (5 sq mi).[344] The blast wave spread up to 200 mi (320 km) and was estimated to be consistent with 200–240 tonnes of TNT (840–1,000 GJ) of high-explosives detonating.[345][344][346] TheSecurity Service of Ukraine claimed that "Iskander,Tochka and KAB missiles" were stored at the facility.[346] Russian officials reported that 13 people had been injured and that an evacuation of the area had been ordered.[347] TheEstonian Defense Forces Intelligence Center subsequently estimated that the strike had caused 30,000 tonnes of munitions to explode.[348]
21 September: On the night of 20–21 September 2024, Ukraine launcheddrone attacks on two Russian ammunition depots — the 23rd Arsenal of the Main Missile and Artillery Directorate (GRAU) near the village ofOktyabrsky inTver Oblast and the 719th Artillery Ammunition Base nearTikhoretsk and theTikhoretsk air base inKrasnodar Krai.[349]
October 2024
3 October: Ukrainian drones struck theBorisoglebsk air base in the Voronezh Oblast, targeting Su-34s, Su-35s, fuel tanks and a warehouse for Russian glide bombs.[350]
8–9 November: Ukrainian drones attacked the Aleksin Chemical Plant—part of thestate corporationRostec—in theAleksinsky District, about 190 km (120 mi) south of Moscow, causing a series of explosions and fires at the plant which manufactures ammunition and explosives for the Russian military. Russian sources did not acknowledge the attack's success, "as is common following a reported attack by Ukraine on one of [Russia's] military sites."[354][355]
14 November: Ukrainian drones attacked theKrymsk air base inKrasnodar Krai, whereSu-27 andSu-30 fighter jets andKa-27 helicopters are stationed.[357] The Russian MOD said they shot down 51 drones using conventional air defense capabilities and that no casualties were reported.[358]
20 November: Ukrainian drones struck the 13th Arsenal of theMain Missile and Artillery Directorate located inKotovo,Novgorod Oblast, some 680 kilometres from the Ukrainian border. Residents of Kotovo were evacuated to nearbyOkulovka as a precaution, with several drones being reported as being shot down by Russian air defences.[360]
22 November 2024: MultipleStorm Shadow missiles were used by Ukraine to attack the Maryino estate, located 32 km behind the front lines in Kursk, a Russian army command post and communications hub. According to theWall Street Journal, aNorth Korean general officer was wounded in the attack.[361]
22 & 25 November: The Rosneft Kaluga oil storage depot was attacked again by Ukrainian drones. Russian sources claimed air defences to have shot down two missiles and 27 drones. However, fires continued to burn at the depot on the 24th, and additional drones attacked on the 25th resulting in explosions and fires.[362][363] The November 25 fire was detected by NASAFIRMS. By 28 November, three of the ten Kaluga storage tanks had been completely destroyed in the multi-day fires.[364]
December 2024
1 December: According to Russian authorities, Ukrainian drone attacks took place in the Bryansk and Kaluga regions.[365]
14 December: An oil depot inOryol was attacked and set on fire by Ukrainian drones. Russian social media reported explosions and the governor confirmed a fire had broken out at an "infrastructure facility".[366]
19 December: An oil refinery inNovoshakhtinsk was struck by Ukrainian drones and missiles, according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The involvement of the Ukrainian Navy and recent attacks near the facility pointed to the use of Neptune missiles.[367]
31 December: MultipleStorm Shadow long-range missiles struckLgov hitting a Russian command bunker and a Russian troop barracks of the810th Naval Infantry Brigade. Initial Russian news reports were that 8 military members were killed and 22 injured and hospitalized.[371]
14 January: Drones attacked theKazan Orgsintez chemical plant in the suburbs ofKazan, Tatarstan, nearly 1,000 km (620 mi) from the border with Ukraine, causing a series of explosions and fires in threeliquified natural gas (LNG) storage tanks. Russian sources acknowledged the attack.[372][373] A fuel storage facility supplying the Engels air base was also struck by drones.[374]
17 January: Ukrainian drones struck an oil depot inLyudinovo with falling debris causing a fire.[375]
20 January: Ukrainian drones attacked theGorbunov Kazan Aviation Plant inKazan, Russia where theTu-160 strategic bomber is built, about 1,000 km (620 mi) from the border with Ukraine, causing several explosions. Local Russian sources stated that damage was minimal and all drone threats had been neutralized.[376][377]
29 January:Ukraine launched a drone attack on theKstovo Refinery inNizhny Novgorod, Russia, about 800 km (500 mi) from the border with Ukraine, causing several explosions and resulting in large fires in several units.
Ukrainian military sources claimed that 4 of the 4 drones sent struck their targets. Local residents reported at least three explosions inside the refinery. Russian officials downplayed the extent of the damage.[378][379][380] Russian authorities subsequently said the blaze burned for two days and Sibur temporarily halted operations at the plant.[381]
31 January: Ukrainian drones attacked theVolgograd Refinery, causing a fire at the facility. Russian sources said the fire was quickly extinguished.[382]
1 June: SBU struck at least two airfields, those beingOlenya air base, in the Arctic, andBelaya air base in Siberia, destroying rows of Russian strategic and nuclear capable bombers.[383] Ukrainian sources claimed further strikes atDiaghilev air base andIvanovo air base, claiming to have hit over 40 Russian aircraft including theA-50,Tu-95 andTu-22M3.[384]
August 2025
7-8 August: An overnight Ukrainian drone strike sparked a fire at theAfipsky refinery inKrasnodar Krai. The regional crisis center reported that drone debris ignited a gas condensate processing unit. The fire was reportedly extinguished by 8:21 a.m. local time.[385]
14 August: Russia's military claimed to have downed 9 drones overnight inVolgograd Oblast, while Volgograd's governor claimed that falling drone debris caused a fire at theVolgograd refinery.[386][387] Extensive fire at the refinery was detected byNASA'sFIRMS on 13 August 2025 21:46:00 (UTC).
21 August: Ukraine attacked theUnecha oil pumping station inBryansk Oblast, a critical part of Russia'sDruzhba oil pipeline to Europe. Governor of Bryansk OblastAlexander Bogomaz said on 22 August that an energy facility at Unecha had caught fire following Ukrainian missile and drone attacks.[388] As a result, Russian oil supplies toHungary andSlovakia were suspended until 28 August.[389]
24 August:
Russia claimed that theKursk Nuclear Power Plant was targeted by a Ukrainian drone strike. The attack caused a fire that was quickly extinguished and damaged an auxiliary transformer, leading to a 50% reduction in the operating capacity of one reactor. No injuries were reported, and radiation levels remained within normal limits according to theInternational Atomic Energy Agency.[390]
28 August: Ukrainian drones struck theKuibyshev refinery inSamara Oblast, damaging both of its primary oil refining units as well as secondary units. The refinery had resumed oil refining on 21 August following a major overhaul that started on 1 July 2025.[392]
4 October: A RussianBuyan-class corvette was allegedly attacked nearLake Onega, inKarelia, Russia. The ship sustained damage to the right side of its power plant compartment.[395]
On 2 April 2023, Russian pro-war military blogger 'Vladlen Tatarsky' wasassassinated in a bombing in St Petersburg. The bomb, hidden inside a statuette and handed to him as a gift, exploded during an event he was hosting in a café. A Russian woman was later sentenced to 27 years in prison for the attack.[398]
On 6 May 2023, in the village ofPionerskoye,Bor District,Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, an anti-tank mine exploded under anAudi Q7 car, in which the ultranationalist writer and politicianZakhar Prilepin was driving. Prilepin received severe leg injuries, and his bodyguard died on the spot. Responsibility for the attack was claimed byAtesh, a militant group of Ukrainians andCrimean Tatars.[399][400]
On 11 July 2023, Navy Captain Stanislav Rzhitsky, deputy head of military mobilization efforts inKrasnodar, was shot and killed while jogging. As commander of the submarineKrasnodar based in theBlack Sea, he was accused of launching missiles that struckVinnytsia inJuly 2022 and killed 23 civilians, although his father claimed he had left active service prior to the invasion in 2021.[401]
On 16 November 2023, Oleksandr Slisarenko, the Russian-installed deputy head of theKharkov Military-Civilian Administration, was killed in a car bombing reportedly carried out by the SBU in Belgorod.[402]
On 17 December 2024, Russian lieutenant generalIgor Kirillov was assassinated in Moscow, the SBU claimed responsibility for the attack.[403]
On 3 February 2025,Armen Sargsyan, an Armenian-born paramilitary leader and founder of the Pro-RussianArbat Battalion, was severely injured after a bomb detonated in the entrance hall of an apartment building in Moscow. He would later die due to his wounds in hospital.[404]
On 22 May, another cross-border raid took place in Belgorod Oblast; in theKozinka,Gora-Podol andGrayvoron districts. TheFreedom of Russia Legion (FRL) andRussian Volunteer Corps (RVC) claimed responsibility for the attacks. A Ukrainian spokesperson, Andrii Yusov, made the same claim, stating that the attacks were to "liberate" the regions and to provide a buffer zone to protect Ukrainian civilians. Russian authorities attributed the attacks to "a Ukrainian sabotage-reconnaissance group".[409]
On 1 June, the FRL and RVC launched another raid into Belgorod Oblast, this time near the small town ofShebekino.[410]
Starting on 18 March 2025, Ukrainian forces launched an incursion into Belgorod Oblast, near the towns ofDemidovka,Grafovka andPrilesye.[419][420]
Reactions
This section needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(August 2024)
Russia
In response to alleged shelling by Ukraine, Russia reportedly began reinforcing its border with Ukraine in November 2022, including building defense lines and fortifications along the border in Belgorod, Kursk and Bryansk regions.[421][422] A state of emergency was also declared in some villages and settlements along the border with Ukraine following repeated shelling attacks.[423]
ISW reported in November 2022 that Russian forces could be preparing a large-scale false flag attack to gather popular support for the invasion, with Kremlin propagandists claiming that Ukraine is "preparing to invade" Belgorod Oblast.[424] A senior Ukrainian officer later said that Russia may attempt to escalate the situation on the border and claim "NATO and Ukrainian aggression". He cited fake news being spread in pro-Russian Telegram channels about "Ukrainian and NATO plans" to "attack peaceful Russian and Belarusian territory".[424]
In May 2023, Russia's Security Council SecretaryNikolai Patrushev accused Ukraine's NATO allies of involvement in Ukrainian attacks in Russia, saying "the terrorist attacks committed in Russia are accompanied by an information campaign prepared in advance in Washington and London, designed to destabilise the socio-political situation, and to undermine the constitutional foundations and sovereignty of Russia."[425]
After a UkrainianHIMARS strike destroyed a convoy of Russian troops inKursk Oblast in Russia on the night of 8–9 August 2024, Russianmilbloggers responded with outrage. Many of them called for the commanders who authorized the movement of the column to be punished.[426] The Ukrainian attack on the convoy was described by Russian milbloggers as one of the bloodiest of the entire war.[427]
Russian PresidentVladimir Putin threatened retaliation for attacks on Russian territory.[428] He alleged that Western-supplied "long-range precision weapons cannot be used without space-based reconnaissance" and "highly skilled specialists" from NATO countries.[429] Experts said Putin's threats are aimed at dissuading the United States, the United Kingdom and France from allowing Ukraine to use Western-supplied long-range missiles such as theATACMS andStorm Shadow in strikes against Russia.[430]
In December 2024, Vladimir Putin threatened to bring more "destruction" to Ukraine in retaliation for a Ukrainian drone attack on the central Russian city ofKazan in the Republic ofTatarstan.[431]
On 25 December 2024, theAzerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243 crashed nearAktau International Airport, Kazakhstan, with 62 passengers and 5 crew on board.Osprey Flight Solutions, a United Kingdom-based aviation security firm which provides analysis for airlines still flying into Russia, warned its clients that the aircraft had likely been shot down by a Russian military air-defence system.[432] On the morning of 25 December, the head of the Security Council of theChechen Republic,Khamzat Kadyrov, confirmed that Grozny had beenattacked by drones.[433] On 26 December, Azerbaijani government sources confirmed that a Russian surface-to-air missile, aPantsir-S1, had fired at the aircraft aboveGrozny, detonating near the plane, injuring passengers and crew members. Despite the pilots' requests to perform anemergency landing, they were denied to do so at any Russian airport, instead being ordered to fly towards Aktau.[433]
Ukraine
Ukrainian officials have rarely commented on the attacks. The Ukrainian military and intelligence services have acknowledged carrying out some of them, or have welcomed attacks without admitting involvement.
In April 2022,Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyy, referred to attacks in Russia as "karma" or payback for the Russian invasion. He said that Russian regions where fuel and weapons are stored were learning about "demilitarization", referring to one of Putin's stated goals of the invasion.[434]
Ukraine's military denied taking part in the cross-border raids by theFreedom of Russia Legion andRussian Volunteer Corps. Andriy Yusov, a spokesperson for Ukraine's military intelligence, said that Russian citizens had launched the operations to liberate territories from the "Putin regime", to push Russian government forces away from the border and create a "security zone to protect the Ukrainian civilian population".[435] Some Ukrainian commentators wryly compared them to Russia's past use ofproxy forces in Ukraine. Mykhailo Podolyak said "As you know, tanks are sold at any Russian military store", referencing Putin's claim that Russian troops and proxy forcesin 2014 were locals who bought their equipment at army surplus stores.[435] Ukrainian social media accounts jokingly called the Belgorod region the "Bilhorod People's Republic", in reference to the Russian-occupiedDonetsk andLuhansk People's Republics. Another popular joke online referred to Putin announcing "anotherSpecial Military Operation to defend Russian-speaking Russians from Russians invading Russia".[436]
In response to Ukraine's2024 cross-border offensive in Kursk, President Zelenskyy said that "Russia brought the war to our land and should feel what it has done".[437] He said: "Everything that inflicts losses on the Russian army, Russian state, theirmilitary-industrial complex, and their economy helps prevent the war from expanding and brings us closer to a just end to this aggression".[438] Zelenskyy maintained that "Russia must be forced to make peace", adding that Ukrainian troops were helping to protect Ukraine by capturing areas from where Russia had launched numerous strikes.[439] Ukrainian foreign ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhy said that "unlike Russia", Ukraine is not interested in taking the territory of its neighbor. Tykhy continued: "The sooner Russia agrees to restore a just peace ... the sooner the raids by the Ukrainian defense forces into Russia will stop".[440][441]
NATO
This sectionneeds expansion with: the UK's recent allowance of using Storm Shadow missiles to strike inside Russia. You can help byadding to itadding to it ormaking an edit request.(August 2024)
For more than two years, NATO states thatsupplied Ukraine with weapons, barred Ukraine from using those weapons to strike inside Russia.[442] US Secretary of StateAntony Blinken said "We haven't encouraged or enabled strikes outside of Ukraine".[443] However, in May 2024, NATO Secretary-GeneralJens Stoltenberg and several European leaders said Ukraine should be allowed to use Western-supplied weapons to strike military targets inside Russia in self-defense. Stoltenberg said that "if [Ukraine] cannot attack the Russian forces on the other side of the frontline because they are on the other side of the border, then of course you really reduce the ability of the Ukrainian forces to defend".[444] French PresidentEmmanuel Macron said that Ukraine must be able to take out the bases across the border from where Russian missiles are fired, while German ChancellorOlaf Scholz said Ukraine's defense "isn't limited to its territory".[443] Italian Prime MinisterGiorgia Meloni said she did not think it necessary to hit Russian military bases, and urged Western allies to supply Ukraine with more air defenses instead.[445] Italian Defense MinisterGuido Crosetto said it is "wrong to increase tension" in an already "dramatic" situation and underlined the need to leave open the possibility of "peace talks in the coming months".[446] Hungary's Foreign MinisterPeter Szijjarto said it was a "crazy idea because, as we've seen so far, the Russians will fire back".[447]
On 30 May 2024, in response to Russia's2024 Kharkiv offensive, US PresidentJoe Biden gave Ukraine permission to strike the Russian military inside Russia with US-supplied weapons, but only to defend theKharkiv region from "Russian forces hitting them or preparing to hit them".[448] The same permission was given to Ukraine byGermany,[449]France and theUnited Kingdom.[450] Dutch Foreign MinisterHanke Bruins Slot said that theNetherlands would not object if Ukraine used Dutch-suppliedF-16 fighters to strike military targets inside Russia.[451]
The USBiden administration reportedly told Ukraine to stop attacking oil refineries in Russia, believing it would raise world energy prices and bring more aggressive Russian retaliation. Ukraine's government rejected the request.[452] The US also expressed concern at a Ukrainian drone strike against a Russian nuclearearly-warning radar, believing that it could dangerously unsettle the Russian government.[453][needs update]
In July 2024, British Prime MinisterKeir Starmer announced that the British government would authorize the use ofStorm Shadow long-range missiles against military targets in Russia.[454]
On 17 November 2024, the Biden administration authorized the use of long-rangeATACMS missiles for military targets inside mainland Russia.[455][456]
^""Бєлгородська народна республіка": тролінг Данілова про пожежу на нафтобазі в росії" ["Belgorod People's Republic": Danilov's trolling about the fire at the oil depot in Russia].Інформаційне агентство Українські Національні Новини (УНН). Всі онлайн новини дня в Україні за сьогодні - найсвіжіші, останні, головні. (in Ukrainian). April 2022.Archived from the original on 26 May 2023. Retrieved26 April 2022.
^"Russia-Ukraine live news: Donbas offensive 'has lost momentum'". Al Jazeera. 14–15 May 2022.Archived from the original on 14 July 2022. Retrieved15 May 2022.(06:38 GMT) One person in Russian village wounded: governor One person was injured with a shrapnel wound after a Ukrainian strike hit the Russian village of Sereda, Vyacheslav Gladkov, the governor of the Belgorod region, said on his Telegram channel. The town is in Shebekinsky district, next to the border with Ukraine.
_02.jpg)
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg)
