Russia hit by large-scale drone attack, oil refinery burns in Usman
Photo: fires broke out in at least two Russian cities (Getty Images)
During the night of January 6, unidentified drones attacked several Russian regions. Penza, Usman, and Leningrad Oblast, among others, came under attack, according to Russian channels.
Penza
According to the timeline of posts, Penza was the first to come under attack. Subscribers of SHOT reported hearing around five to seven explosions after 2:00 AM local time. They also said they saw bright flashes in the sky, preceded by the sound of drones flying overhead.
At the same time, footage circulated on social media that appears to show a fire. Several public channels claim that, preliminarily, a bearing plant may have been hit.
However, some OSINT channels later claimed that the PJSC Biosintez plant had been hit, one of the largest pharmaceutical manufacturers in Russia.
It remains unclear which version is accurate. There have been no official comments from the authorities so far.
Lipetsk and Leningrad oblasts
Closer to 3:00 AM Kyiv time, footage appeared on social media showing a large glow in the sky. According to social media reports, unidentified drones attacked an oil refinery in Usman, Lipetsk Oblast, after which a fire broke out.
In addition, overnight, so-called "Z channels" reported the suppression of a drone in Leningrad Oblast.
Propagandists claimed it was neutralized using electronic warfare, after which debris reportedly fell near the village of Berezhki. It is alleged that some of the fragments landed on the grounds of a compressor station.
Sterlitamak and Tver
In addition to the locations mentioned above, Russian residents also reported explosions in Sterlitamak (the Republic of Bashkortostan). Videos circulating on social media capture the sound of explosions, but what exactly was targeted remains unknown.
There were also reports of explosions in Tver, though details of the incident are still unclear.
Overnight, it was also loud in Tver. Several public channels shared footage allegedly showing a drone striking a residential building. It is emphasized that the incident may have resulted from an unsuccessful air-defense or electronic-warfare response, causing the drone or its fragments to come down in the manner seen in the videos.
Drone attacks on Russia
In recent weeks, Russia has increasingly come under attack by unidentified drones. In some cases, the origin of the drones remains unclear, while in others, the situation is reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In particular, on January 1, the General Staff reported striking the Ilsky oil refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai, with a fire recorded on the facility’s grounds following the hit.
Oil treatment units at the Almetyevsk facility in the Republic of Tatarstan were also reported to have been hit, with the target struck and results still being уточнюються (clarified).
On January 3 and 4, Moscow’s airports were closed for two consecutive days due to attacks by unidentified drones. On the second day, around 200 flights were delayed as a result of the incident.
