Ukraine Drone Strike Targets Power Station in Moscow Region

On Sunday, Ukraine launched a drone strike against a heating and power station in the Moscow region, resulting in a substantial fire and leaving thousands without heat. This attack marks one of Ukraine's most significant operations targeting energy infrastructure deep within Russian territory.

According to Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the Moscow region, the Shatura Power Station, situated approximately 120 kilometres (75 miles) east of the Kremlin, was struck by Ukrainian drones. Video footage shared on social media platform Telegram depicted large fireballs and thick smoke rising from the facility, as reported by Reuters.

Vorobyov stated, “Some of the drones were destroyed by air-defence forces. Several fell on the territory of the station. A fire broke out at the facility.” He assured residents that “all efforts are being taken to promptly restore heat supply.” The town of Shatura, which has a population of around 33,000, experienced immediate heating disruptions following the incident.

Witnesses reported that heating was cut off, and the Russian emergencies ministry confirmed that three transformers at the power station were ablaze, as cited by the Kommersant newspaper. The Shatura Power Station is one of Russia's oldest, established under the leadership of Vladimir Lenin following the Bolshevik Revolution. Initially powered by peat, it now primarily operates on natural gas.

In response to the drone strike, Russia's defence ministry announced that its forces had intercepted 75 Ukrainian drones, including 36 over the Black Sea and several in the vicinity of Moscow. Flight operations at Vnukovo Airport in Moscow were temporarily halted for about an hour before normal service resumed.

The ongoing conflict, now in its fourth year, represents the deadliest clash in Europe since World War II. Russia has persistently targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure, resulting in widespread electricity and heating outages across the nation in recent months. Conversely, Ukraine has concentrated its efforts on attacking Russian oil refineries, crude terminals, and pipelines to undermine Moscow's war economy by disrupting its critical energy revenues.

Although Ukraine has previously conducted operations against power and heating facilities in areas controlled by Russia and regions bordering Ukraine, this latest drone strike signifies a notable escalation in targeting significant energy installations serving Moscow and its surrounding areas, which are home to more than 22 million residents.