Ukraine launched its "most massive" attack against Russian military and industrial facilities in a range of up to 1,100 kilometers (620 miles) overnight on Jan. 14, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported.
Chemical plants, refineries, and the Engels airbase's ammunition depots were successfully targeted, a source in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) told the Kyiv Independent.
"The SBU, together with the Defense Forces, continues to strike enemy military facilities and enterprises supporting Russia’s military-industrial complex. Each hit — whether on ammunition depots, refineries, oil depots, or chemical plants — weakens Russia’s capacity to wage war in Ukraine," an SBU source told the Kyiv Independent.
Ukrainian drones reportedly targeted multiple regions, including Saratov, Voronezh, and Orel oblasts, as well as Tatarstan. The Russian Defense Ministry did not specify the number of drones involved.
Dmitry Milyaev, the governor of Russia's Tula region, described a "massive drone attack" in a Telegram post, claiming at least 17 drones were launched. In Aleksin, debris from a downed drone reportedly damaged vehicles and outbuildings, with no casualties reported.
The SBU source indicated the Aleksino chemical plant — producing gunpowder and ammunition for the Russian military — was successfully hit, igniting a large fire.
In Saratov and Engels, Governor Roman Busargin confirmed damage at two industrial facilities following drone strikes. The General Staff said that the Kristal oil facility in Engels, which burned for five days after an earlier strike on Jan. 8, was again successfully targeted.
The Engels airfield, located in Saratov Oblast over 750 kilometers (460 miles) from Ukraine's nearest controlled territory, allegedly sustained hits to ammunition depots containing FAB glide bombs, KAB bombs, and cruise missiles. The Saratov oil refinery was also reportedly engulfed in a fire.
Engels hosts three types of Russian strategic bombers — the Tupolev Tu-95, Tu-22, and Tu-160 — all frequently used to launch missile strikes on Ukrainian cities.
Mikhail Isayev, the acting head of the Engels district, announced that schools in the city would transition to remote learning due to the continued threat of drone strikes.
Explosions were reported in the town of Seltso near Bryansk, where the chemical plant reportedly was hit, according to the Russian opposition Telegram channel Astra.
Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces confirmed the strike, saying that the plant produces gunpowder, explosives, and missile fuel components, including ammunition for barrel artillery, multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), aircraft, and Kh-59 cruise missiles. It also carries out overhauls of Grad, Uragan, and Tornado-G MLRS.
The unit reported that the drones distracted Russian air defense, paving the way for missiles to hit the main targets. Following the missile strike, long-range drones allegedly destroyed substations and other critical infrastructure.
In Tatarstan’s capital, Kazan, a fuel facility was struck in the early hours of Jan. 14, igniting a gas tank. The fire occurred about 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) from the Ukrainian border. Tatarstan Republic head Rustam Minnikhanov confirmed that a fire broke out in the city as a result of the drone strike but claimed that it resulted in no significant damage.
"I went to the scene of a fire that occurred as a result of the drone attack. Emergency services quickly arrived at the scene to extinguish the fire. I heard reports that there were no casualties or serious damage," Minnikhanov wrote on his Telegram channel.
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the claims.
Ukrainian forces have increasingly targeted Russia’s oil industry, ammunition depots, and military airfields, aiming to disrupt supply chains critical to Russia’s war efforts. Fossil fuel exports remain a major revenue stream for the Kremlin’s military operations.
These attacks are part of Ukraine’s ongoing efforts to undermine Russia’s ability to sustain its full-scale invasion, striking deep into Russian territory, including regions far from the front lines.
Chris York
