Ukrainian drones reportedly attack Russia's Kirov Oblast for the first time

Ukrainian drones attacked the town of Kotelnich in Russia's Kirov Oblast, Governor Alexander Sokolov said on August 28.

According to Sokolov, Russian air defenses shot down two drones, while three others “crashed” and started a fire near the Zenit oil facility. The drones were targeting a tank with oil products, the governor claimed.

No casualties or damage were reported. Sokolov said the situation was “under control.”

Kotelnich is located about 1,500 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. This is the first report of a drone attack on Russia's Kirov Oblast since the start of Moscow's large-scale invasion of Ukraine.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, air defense also shot down eight drones over Voronezh Oblast and four over Rostov Oblast during the night.

The Ukrainian military has not made any official comment on these reports, nor can they be independently verified.

A source in the Ukrainian Military Intelligence Service (HUR) confirmed to the Kyiv Independent that Ukrainian drones controlled by the HUR and special forces struck and set fire to an oil depot in Rostov Oblast on August 28.

The BBC's Russian service reported on August 28 that there have been at least 64 drone attacks on oil refineries and infrastructure facilities in Russia and Russian-occupied territories, including Crimea, this year.