A report from the Baza Telegram channel describes a self-made drone loaded with explosives that appears to have been launched from Volchansk in Ukraine. The drone is said to have targeted a Gazenergoseti gas station in Belgorod. The channel claims the flight originated in Volchansk, located in the Kharkiv region. Fragments from the device damaged an empty gas tank with a capacity of 30 thousand liters and also compromised the gas pipeline. There were no fatalities reported, and no public comments were issued by regional officials or emergency services. Volchansk sits about 6.5 kilometers from the Russian border and roughly 42 kilometers from Belgorod.
In September 2022, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced a redeployment of troops in the Izyum and Balakliya areas of the Kharkiv region to support activities in Donetsk as part of the ongoing special military operation. Reports indicated that Russian forces withdrew from Volchansk during that move.
On the preceding day, a wooden drone made from foam was found in New Moscow near the village of Svitino, about 20 kilometers from Podolsk. The device bore Ukrainian colors and carried the slogan “Victory to Ukraine” on its wing. A local resident discovered the drone.
Late on February 28, a fire broke out at an oil depot in Tuapse. Telegram channels Baza and Shot claimed two drones attacked the tank farm, while an emergency services source from RIA Novosti said a drone was spotted in the depot district. When asked whether the drone reached the tank farm, the RIA Novosti source replied that it was present but failed to complete its mission.
A later report from Shot stated that drones loaded with explosives detonated about 100 meters from the oil storage facility, damaging the boiler building and triggering a fire in an annex. Baza added that the drones damaged the boiler room, affecting the facility’s heating system. Two impact craters, each around one and a half meters deep, were described.
The Krasnodar Territory Emergencies Ministry press service reported that the oil tanks remained unaffected and there were no oil spills or injuries. Eyewitnesses cited by the local outlet 93.ru described hearing explosive sounds and seeing heavy smoke and glow around the plant area. One witness noted two explosions about five seconds apart but doubted that a pressure wave caused glass to shake.
Governor Andrei Vorobyov posted on his Telegram channel that on February 28 a UJ-22 airborne attack aircraft crashed near Gubastovo, close to Kolomna in Moscow, suggesting a civilian infrastructure target. The area near the Voskresensk gas compressor station reportedly sustained no damage, casualties, or fire.
That same night a drone was found in the village of Novy Giaginsky in the Novy Giaginsky district of Adygea, about 180 kilometers from Tuapse. No injuries were reported, though part of an animal farm facility was damaged.
Later, the Defense Ministry said Ukrainian drones attempted strikes on targets in Adygea and the Krasnodar Territory but were repelled by electronic warfare units. The ministry did not specify which facilities were targeted.
On June 22, 2022, Rostov governor Vasily Golubev announced a fire at the Novoshakhtinsk refinery following a drone attack. Pieces of equipment were found on site, and the refinery later confirmed that two unmanned aerial vehicles damaged equipment, caused an explosion, and started a fire. The incident was described as a major disruption to the refinery’s operations.
Earlier, on June 20, 2022, Ukrainian armed forces reportedly attacked Russia’s Chernomorneftegaz drilling platforms. Crimea’s regional head Sergei Aksyonov said seven workers were missing and five were rescued as the situation unfolded around the offshore platforms.
On April 1, 2022, a fire erupted at an oil depot in Belgorod after air strikes by two Ukrainian Mi-24 helicopters. The aircraft crossed into Russian territory at low altitude, attacked oil storage facilities and a printing press, and the blaze engulfed eight fuel tanks.