Ukraine’s largest drone strike hits Russia, targets key industrial sites

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Ryan Robertson Anchor

By Ryan Robertson (Anchor), William Jackson (Producer), Michael Edwards (Video Editor)

Ukraine carried out one of its largest drone and missile attacks against Russia, targeting industrial and strategic locations across multiple regions. The strikes, which took place overnight Monday, Jan. 13, reportedly caused significant damage to facilities and prompted school closures and flight restrictions in parts of southern Russia.

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Russian officials reported damage to oil production and chemical facilities in the Saratov and Engels regions. Saratov Gov. Roman Busargin confirmed what he described as a “massive UAV attack” that hit two industrial plants.

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Engels, a city that hosts an airbase for Russian nuclear bombers, has been a frequent target, with emergency crews recently extinguishing a large fire from a previous strike on Jan. 8. Flight restrictions remained in effect in neighboring areas.

Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communications stated that seven regions in Russia were targeted. The attacks focused on military production facilities, oil and gas infrastructure and storage sites for guided bombs and missiles.

The agency did not specify the number of drones or missiles used. Meanwhile, Russian authorities claimed they intercepted at least 146 drones and several missiles, including U.S.-made ATACMS and U.K.-made Storm Shadow missiles. Some reports suggested Ukraine downed over 200 drones and additional missiles, though these figures remain unverified.

Local media reported explosions in the Bryansk region near the Ukrainian border, attributing the blasts to a chemical plant. In the Tula region, fires were reported at a refinery and a munitions storage facility.

Future US support for Ukraine uncertain

These strikes come as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office, raising questions about the future of U.S. support for Ukraine. Ukrainian officials viewed the attacks as a demonstration of their capability to target critical infrastructure deep within Russian territory.

In response, Russia launched a counter-aerial assault on Ukraine, deploying nearly 80 drones overnight. Ukraine’s air force reported shooting down 60 of the drones, though falling debris caused damage to buildings and vehicles in several areas. No casualties were reported.

Tags: 2024 Elections, Donald Trump, Donetsk, Drones, inauguration, Joe Biden, kamikaze drones, Kyiv, Long-range missiles, Missile Strike, missiles, Russia, Russia-Ukraine War, Russian Defense Ministry, Ukraine, Ukraine aid, Ukraine Defense Ministry

[Ryan Robertson]

UKRAINE SAYS IT JUST LAUNCHED THE LARGEST WAVE OF DRONE AND MISSILE ATTACKS TO DATE AGAINST RUSSIA IN THE ALMOST THREE-YEAR-OLD WAR.
IT HAPPENED OVERNIGHT AND TARGETED INDUSTRIAL AND STRATEGIC SITES ACROSS MULTIPLE REGIONS.

THE DAMAGE TO FACILITIES, RESULTING SCHOOL CLOSURES, AND FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS ALL HIGHLIGHT THE ESCALATING CONFLICT AS THE U.S. PREPARES FOR A LEADERSHIP TRANSITION THAT COULD RESHAPE ITS ROLE IN SUPPORTING UKRAINE.

RUSSIAN OFFICIALS REPORTED DAMAGE TO MULTIPLE OIL PRODUCTION AND CHEMICAL FACILITIES AND THE CLOSURE OF SCHOOLS IN THE SOUTHERN CITIES OF SARATOV AND ENGELS.

THE SARATOV REGION’S GOVERNOR, ROMAN BUSARGIN, CONFIRMED A “MASSIVE UAV ATTACK” DAMAGED TWO INDUSTRIAL PLANTS. ENGELS IS HOME TO AN AIRBASE FOR RUSSIAN NUCLEAR BOMBERS — THERE AREA WAS TARGETED BEFORE— EMERGENCY CREWS RECENTLY EXTINGUISHED A LARGE FIRE FROM STRIKE ON JANUARY 8TH. FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS WERE IMPOSED IN THE NEIGHBORING AREAS.

UKRAINE’S CENTER FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS SAYS
SEVEN REGIONS IN RUSSIA WERE TARGETED, INCLUDING MILITARY PRODUCTION FACILITIES, OIL AND GAS INFRASTRUCTURE, AND STORAGE SITES FOR GUIDED BOMBS AND MISSILES. THE AGENCY DID NOT DISCLOSE THE EXACT NUMBER OF DRONES OR MISSILES DEPLOYED. RUSSIAN OFFICIALS CLAIM THEY INTERCEPTED AT LEAST 146 DRONES AND SEVERAL MISSILES, INCLUDING 5 U.S.-MADE ATACMS AND 2 U.K.-MADE STORM SHADOW MISSILES.

IN SOME REPORTS, RUSSIA SAYS IT SHOT DOWN OVER 200 DRONES AND FIVE ATACMS MISSILES. HOWEVER, THERE IS NO INDEPENDENT CONFIRMATION OF THESE FIGURES, AND UKRAINE DID NOT PROVIDE A TOTAL COUNT.

THE BRYANSK REGION, NEAR UKRAINE’S BORDER, SAW EXPLOSIONS, REPORTEDLY AT A CHEMICAL PLANT. LOCAL MEDIA IN TULA REPORT FIRES AT A REFINERY AND A MUNITIONS STORAGE FACILITY.

THE STRIKES COME AS PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP PREPARES TO TAKE OFFICE, WITH QUESTIONS SURROUNDING THE FUTURE OF U.S. SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE. UKRAINIAN OFFICIALS SEE THE STRIKES AS A DEMONSTRATION OF THEIR ABILITY TO TARGET CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE WITHIN RUSSIA.

AT THE SAME TIME, RUSSIA CONDUCTED A COUNTER-AERIAL ASSAULT ON UKRAINE, DEPLOYING NEARLY 80 DRONES OVERNIGHT. UKRAINE’S AIR FORCE REPORTED SHOOTING DOWN 60 BUT NOTED DEBRIS CAUSED DAMAGE TO BUILDINGS AND VEHICLES IN SEVERAL AREAS. NO CASUALTIES WERE REPORTED.

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