In the early hours of 19 June, a mass drone attack targeted multiple parts of Russia. In Volgograd, the attack prompted emergency flight restrictions and the temporary activation of the Kovyor airport shutdown protocol. The outcome of the assault remains unknown.

Volgograd is situated about 500 km from the frontline and hosts numerous military and military-industrial facilities, including the Titan-Barrikady defense plant, the Marinovka air base with Su-24 and Su-34 aircraft, and a major oil refinery crucial for military fuel logistics. Last time, Ukraine targeted an oil refinery in Volgograd in March.

Volgograd and Kaluga airports disrupted

According to Rosaviatsiya, temporary flight bans were introduced at Volgograd and Kaluga airports around 04:00 Kyiv time. The standard Kovyor plan — which halts all takeoffs and landings and redirects inbound aircraft — was enacted at Volgograd Airport due to the drone threat.

Authorities confirm drone attack

The governor of Volgograd Oblast, Andrey Bocharov, stated that Russian forces allegedly repelled a mass UAV assault across Kalachivskyi and Horodyschenskyi districts as well as southern Volgograd. He claimed the attack resulted in no injuries or damage.

Meanwhile, social media platforms circulated videos appearing to show fires caused by the drone strikes or crashes.

Ukrainian Telegram channel Exilenova+ posted video footage filmed in Volgograd, showing a fire in the city and a cloud of smoke from possible interception of a drone.

“Volgograd, this night UAVs attacked the city, consequences are being clarified,” the channel reported in the morning.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense claimed its air defenses intercepted or downed 81 drones during the attack. The reported breakdown included:

• 19 drones over Bryansk Oblast
• 17 over Kursk Oblast
• 13 over Smolensk Oblast
• 7 over Volgograd Oblast
• 6 over Oryol Oblast
• 5 each over Rostov Oblast and temporarily occupied Crimea
• 3 each over Belgorod and Astrakhan Oblasts
• 2 over Ryazan Oblast
• 1 over Moscow Oblast