Drones hit Russia's Ulyanovsk region: Substation on fire, power knocked out
Photo: Drones attacked the Ulyanovsk region of Russia (Russian media)
Drones in the night of October 18 attacked the Ulyanovsk region of Russia. The Veshkayma substation was hit, according to the head of Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation of the National Security and Defense Council, Andriy Kovalenko.
"Russia lost the Veshkayma substation (500 kV) in the Ulyanovsk region — one of the key elements of its power system," the CCD noted.
This facility provided connections between several regions and served as a transit node for the supply of electricity from the Syzran and Zhiguli hydroelectric power plants to the central regions of Russia.
According to local authorities, four strike drones attacked the substation. As a result, there were two explosions and a fire. The settlement, as local public pages wrote, was left without power. By morning, the power supply was reportedly restored.
Strikes on Russia’s defense industry
Ukraine is increasing production of long-range drones and missiles and is responding with strikes on Russian energy facilities almost daily. Strikes on refineries and power plants have already caused fuel shortages and supply disruptions.
According to the BBC, this year, Ukraine struck 21 of 38 large Russian refineries, putting about 38% of the country’s refining capacity out of operation.
Frequent strikes on the energy sector have led to gasoline shortages and forced Russia to begin importing fuel from Belarus. Repelling the attacks has become for Ukraine an element of a deterrence strategy — to make strikes on Russia so painful that the Kremlin would consider stopping its attacks.
Strikes on refineries and the energy sector have caused a fuel crisis inside Russia and hit the army’s logistics. The Russian president commented on the strikes as an attempt by Kyiv to show its "Western patrons" some kind of success, but promised that this would not help Ukraine.
