Ukrainian drones attacked a fuel and energy facility in Russia's Astrakhan Oblast on March 17, causing a fire, regional governor Igor Babushkin claimed.
"Overnight, the Ukrainian Armed Forces again attempted a massive drone attack on facilities located in the region, including a fuel and energy complex," Babushkin claimed.
Russia's Defense Ministry said its forces had destroyed 13 drones over the oblast. Babushkin reported that fallen debris caused a fire at the facility, and one person was hospitalized.
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify these claims.
Astrakhan Oblast is located in southwestern Russia and borders Kazakhstan. The city of Astrakhan is almost 800 kilometers (500 miles) from the front line in Ukraine.
Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russia's energy and military infrastructure to disrupt Moscow's war effort. Overnight on March 14, Ukrainian drones struck the Tuapse oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Krai, igniting a gasoline storage tank.
Kyiv has focused on hitting Russian refineries, oil depots, and defense industry sites, aiming to limit Moscow's ability to sustain its full-scale invasion.
Martin Fornusek
