Kiev is conducting long-range strikes to compensate for battlefield setbacks
Three people have been killed and eight others wounded in an overnight Ukrainian drone attack on a civilian port terminal in Russia’s Krasnodar Region, local authorities said on Thursday.
The strike was the second in two days to target the southern Russian region, Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said.
Authorities said the attack hit a port facility in the Black Sea village of Volna, sparking a fire at an oil storage site. Four fuel tanks caught fire before firefighters brought the blaze under control several hours later. More than 200 emergency workers were involved.
Volna is located about 15km from the strategic Kerch Strait bridge linking Krasnodar Region with Crimea. Ukraine has repeatedly tried to destroy the bridge, including by using a truck bomb, naval drones, and other weapons.
On Wednesday morning, residents of an apartment building in Krasnodar Region were evacuated after an unexploded Ukrainian kamikaze drone landed on the structure. The governor said the incident was part of a broader Ukrainian raid on southern Russia that also damaged a residential building in neighboring Adygea, injuring 11 people.
Moscow says Kiev is attacking civilian infrastructure because it cannot halt Russian advances on the battlefield. Ukrainian officials claim that inflicting sufficient economic damage will force Russia to abandon its objectives in the four-year conflict.
The Russian military has targeted Ukrainian energy infrastructure it says supports kamikaze drone production for long-range strikes.
Several major Ukrainian cities, including the capital, Kiev, are currently facing severe power shortages as grid deterioration coincides with a cold snap. Kiev Mayor Vitaly Klitschko has urged residents to evacuate if possible.
