Ukrainian military intelligence carried out a sabotage operation against Russia’s 90th anti-aircraft missile brigade in Afipsky settlement, Krasnodar Krai, on the morning of 8 August, resulting in the deaths of at least 12 Russian servicemen and dozens of injured, according to sources in Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR).

“Two explosions occurred near the checkpoint of the military unit,” sources told Hromadske. The attack destroyed equipment and prompted a massive emergency response, with ambulances and special service vehicles converging on the scene.

Local Russian media and social media channels confirmed the explosions in Afipsky, while local security services cordoned off the area and declared an “anti-terrorist operation” regime. Russian authorities attempted to cover up the incident by attributing the explosions to malfunctioning gas cylinder equipment in a vehicle, according to intelligence sources.

“Russian authorities are trying to conceal the fact of sabotage on the territory of the military unit,” a HUR source said. The Federal Security Service has been working to remove mentions of the incident from Russian media.

The 90th anti-aircraft missile brigade targeted in the operation has been participating in Russia’s war against Ukraine on the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia fronts, the intelligence directorate added.

The attack came amid broader Ukrainian operations against Russian infrastructure, with drone strikes also hitting the Afipsky oil refinery in the same oblast, causing significant fires at gas condensate processing facilities.

A previous version of this article mistakenly said GRU (the Russian military intelligence) instead of HUR.

A Ukrainian drone attack on Russian infrastructure overnight on 7 August sparked fires at an oil refinery, a military base, and railway stations in separate regions of southern Russia. The strikes, confirmed by regional authorities and local footage, were part of Ukraine’s ongoing campaign to dismantle Russian military logistics, including fuel supply and transport nodes.

Refinery blaze at Afipsky in Krasnodar Krai

In Krasnodar Krai, a large fire erupted at the Afipsky oil refinery following a drone strike. Local residents shared videos of the blaze on Telegram, published by Exilenova+ and Russian news Telegram channel Astra. Authorities confirmed that flames engulfed the gas and gas condensate processing unit at the refinery. According to the Krasnodar governor, the fire was extinguished by 8:30 in the morning.

This was at least the fourth confirmed strike on the Afipsky refinery since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in 2022. In December 2023, an explosion damaged a fuel oil distillation unit at the same site. The refinery processes around 6–7 million tons of oil annually and plays a key role in supplying diesel fuel to Russia’s military and economy.

Military unit fire in Slavyansk-na-Kubani

Another major fire was reported at a military installation in Slavyansk-na-Kubani, also in Krasnodar Krai. Exilenova+ and Astra published video evidence from locals indicating that the fire broke out at military unit 61661 after it was hit by drones overnight.

No official casualty reports were released, but the footage showed a sustained fire on the grounds of the base. The extent of the damage remains unclear.

Ukrainian OSINT Telegram Cyberboroshno channel geoconfirmed the location of the strike, featured in the footage.

“As a result of the drone attack, fuel and lubricants were hit at the site of the 76th Separate Repair and Recovery Battalion in the settlement of Slavyansk-na-Kubani,” Cyberboroshno wrote. 

Port of Novorossiysk targeted by naval drones

In the port city of Novorossiysk, sirens sounded along the shoreline during an attempted naval drone strike. According to Astra, the mayor confirmed the attack and described the situation as an ongoing defense operation against unmanned surface vessels.

Novorossiysk hosts a key fuel terminal. The impact of the attempted strike is not known at the time of publication.

Volgograd rail infrastructure hit by long-range drones

In Volgograd Oblast, long-range Ukrainian drones hit two railway stations overnight. Videos posted by Exilenova+, Krymsky Veter, and Astra showed large flames at the site.

The oblast’s governor confirmed the attacks and said that fires broke out at the Surovikino station, while explosives experts were dealing with drone debris at the Maksima Gorkogo station. At Surovikino, a blaze engulfed an administrative building. The governor claimed there was no damage to railway infrastructure and that train movement continued “as normal.” 

Russian Telegram channel Astra also published images from the Surovikino area and cited eyewitness reports confirming the fires. At Maksima Gorkogo, sappers were dispatched to examine drone debris.

Russia claims it intercepted dozens of drones

The Russian Ministry of Defense stated it had downed 82 Ukrainian drones across several regions and occupied Crimea during the night. The claimed breakdown included 31 over the Sea of Azov, 11 over Crimea, 10 over Rostov Oblast, 9 over Krasnodar Krai, and smaller numbers in Volgograd, Belgorod, Kursk, and Oryol oblasts.

Adler oil depot burned after Ukrainian drones struck overnight, igniting a 2,000 cubic meter fuel tank near Sochi, southern Russia, around 530 km from the frontline. The strike forced a halt to flights at Sochi airport while emergency crews worked through the night to contain the blaze. The attack targeted Rosneft’s Kubannefteproduct oil depot on Aviatsionnaya Street in Adler, right next to the airport.

The oil depot includes 41 tanks with a combined capacity of around 31,200 cubic meters.

Ukrainian drones strike Adler oil depot again

In the early hours of 3 August, Ukrainian strike drones hit the Adler district of Sochi in Krasnodar Krai. Telegram channels Astra and Exilenova+ reported that the drones struck the Rosneft-Kubannefteproduct oil depot, causing a powerful fire. Local authorities confirmed the fire and the suspension of flights. The depot sits not far from the Sochi airport, which led to an immediate halt to flight operations.

Mayor Andrii Proshunin of Sochi, Krasnodar Krai Governor Veniamin Kondratiev, and Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations confirmed a drone attack on the depot, and the fire. They claimed that falling debris from destroyed drones caused a single tank to ignite. Footage from the site, however, shows two ignition points at the facility.

The Ministry of Emergency Situations said the fire broke out in a fuel tank with a volume of 2,000 cubic meters. They also claimed that debris from drones damaged five garages in a cooperative and a shop, which also caught fire. Governor Mikhail Kotyukov said,

“In Adler district, drone debris hit a fuel tank, causing a blaze. 127 personnel and 35 units of equipment have been deployed to eliminate the consequences of the fire.”

Flights disrupted at Sochi airport

The strike forced the closure of Sochi airport for more than two hours overnight. Airport services later announced that disruptions would continue for at least a day.

“Together with airlines, we are doing everything possible to stabilize the regular schedule as soon as possible, but it will take 1–2 days,” airport representatives said.

Drones reach Voronezh and other areas

On the same night, drones also targeted other areas. Governor Aleksandr Gusev of Voronezh Oblast claimed that 15 drones were downed over Voronezh city and Liskinsky district. Russian officials said debris from drones caused fires and damaged single-family homes. Explosions and fires were reported across Voronezh.

Exilenova+ reported that the activity of electronic warfare systems led to several dorne crashes and fires across Voronezh.

A separate fire was reported at the Kstovo oil depot in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast after a drone threat was announced in the area, though it remains unclear whether that was a result of a Ukrainian strike.

Second strike on Adler oil depots in weeks

This attack marks the second major strike on oil infrastructure in Adler in recent weeks. On 24 July 2025, Ukrainian drones struck the Lukoil-Yugnefteproduct depot, which likely supplies Sochi International Airport. That strike caused a large fire at the site.

Drone attacks on 2 August across Russia

The Adler oil depot follows a wave of Ukrainian drone attacks on 2 August across Russian territory.

• On that day, drones attacked oil refineries in Ryazan and Samara Oblast’s Novokuybyshevsk.
• Ukrainian sources confirmed that earlier attacks on Penza damaged the Elektropibor and Radiozavod plants, which produce radio-electronic equipment for the Russian armed forces.
• Ukrainian drones also struck a radar complex for monitoring space objects near Feodosia in Russian-occupied Crimea.
• The same day, drones attacked the Likhaya-Zamchalovo railway power substation in Rostov Oblast, which Russia uses to supply its occupying forces in Ukraine, and an airfield in Prymorsko-Akhtarsk that launches Shahed drones.
• Separately, on 2 August, an explosion occurred on the Central Asia–Center gas pipeline in Volgograd Oblast near the village of Dynamivske in Nekhaivsky district. The blast disabled the pipeline, and gas transit was stopped indefinitely, according to Militarnyi, citing sources in special services.

Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) drones struck a military airfield storing Iranian-made “Shahed” drones in Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Krasnodar Oblast, during the night of 2 August, the SBU press service reported.

The SBU said that the Primorsko-Akhtarsk military airfield became the first target for long-range UAVs. “Storage and launch sites for Shaheds that attack Ukraine were hit on its territory,” the service announced. Fires broke out in the airfield area following the drone strikes.

A second target was the Elektroprilad plant in Penza city, with the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff confirming the strike. The facility produces equipment for the Russian military-industrial complex, manufacturing gear for digital networks in military command systems, aviation devices, armored vehicles, ships, and spacecraft, according to the SBU.

“SBU drones successfully hit the target, with smoke observed in the explosion area,” the security service reported regarding the Penza strike.

The attacks represent a continuation of Ukrainian strikes on Russian military infrastructure. On 31 July, drones had previously targeted a radio plant in Penza, with the SBU later confirming responsibility for that operation as well.

The coordinated strikes demonstrate Ukraine’s expanding capability to conduct long-range operations against military targets deep within Russian territory, specifically targeting facilities involved in producing or storing weapons used against Ukrainian cities.

Multiple Russian oblasts reported explosions and fires at industrial facilities during overnight drone attacks on 2 August, with air defense systems activated across several areas, according to Russian Telegram channels.

Samara Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev confirmed strikes on Novokuybyshevsk. Social media footage showed a large fire at what appeared to be the Novokuybyshevsk Oil Refinery.

Witnesses reported loud explosions near Dyagilevo airfield in Ryazan Oblast. Another oil refinery in Ryazan city was reportedly struck.

Residents of Lipetsk and Voronezh oblasts also reported UAV attacks and air defense activity during the night.

Long-range Ukrainian drones struck the Ilsky oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Krai on July 7, hitting one of the facility's technological workshops, a source in Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) told the Kyiv Independent.

Located roughly 500 kilometers (311 miles) from Ukrainian-controlled territory, the refinery is among the largest in southern Russia, producing over 6 million tons of fuel annually.

It is involved in the reception, storage, and processing of hydrocarbons and distributes refined products via road and rail. The refinery is part of Russia's military-industrial complex and plays a direct role in supporting Moscow's war effort, the source said.

The Russian regional operational headquarters claimed that "drone debris" fell on the oil refinery.

The strike marks a renewed wave of Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil infrastructure, following a months-long pause since March. On July 1, Ukrainian drones struck the Saratovorgsintez oil refinery in Russia's Saratov Oblast.

Kyiv has targeted dozens of refineries, oil depots, and military-industrial sites since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. Winter drone attacks forced at least four Russian refineries to temporarily shut down.

This is the second known strike on the Ilsky refinery. Ukrainian drones, operated by the Security Service (SBU) and Special Operations Forces (SSO), previously targeted the facility on Feb. 17, causing a fire.

Krasnodar Krai, a strategic region along Russia's Black Sea coast, has increasingly come under Ukrainian drone attacks as Kyiv extends the range of its strikes deep into Russian territory.

HUR publishes Russian military order, claims proof of Moscow increasing military footprint in Armenia

HUR first made the claim on July 5, saying Russia was increasing its forces at the Gyumri base to exert greater influence in the South Caucasus and “destabilize the global security situation.”

The Kyiv IndependentChris York

Drones attacked Russia's Black Sea Fleet at the port of Novorossiysk in Krasnodar Krai overnight on July 6, the Russian media outlet Astra reported.

Ukraine has not officially commented on the reported strikes, and the Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the claims.

An air alert was sounded in the city for several hours, and air defense was active. The consequences of the attack are still being determined, according to Astra.

The media outlet also published footage purportedly showing a burning maritime drone that was allegedly shot down during the attack.

Krasnodar Krai is located east of Crimea, with the Kerch Strait separating them at their closest point.

Ukraine regularly strikes military targets within Russia as Moscow continues to wage its war against Ukraine.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that Russian forces downed 120 drones overnight on July 6.

Thirty drones were shot down over Bryansk Oblast, 29 over Kursk Oblast, and 18 over Oryol Oblast, according to the ministry. An additional 17 and 13 drones were reportedly intercepted over Belgorod and Tula oblasts, respectively, the ministry said.

Due to drone attacks in Russia, numerous flights were canceled or delayed at several airports, including Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport, overnight between July 5 and July 6.

Ukrainian drone strike on Russian airfield hits bomb depot, aircraft

The airfield hosts Su-34, Su-35S, and Su-30SM jets that Russia regularly uses in air strikes against Ukraine, according to the Ukrainian military.

The Kyiv IndependentOlena Goncharova