In the early hours of August 2, a wave of explosions rocked several Russian regions as Ukraine launched a retaliatory drone strike against military and strategic industrial targets deep inside Russian territory.
The operation, reportedly in response to a deadly Russian missile barrage on Ukrainian cities on July 31, targeted oil refineries, electronics manufacturing sites, and airbases used in Moscow’s war effort. Russian authorities confirmed drone activity and damage at key facilities across multiple oblasts, including Samara, Ryazan, and Penza.
In a statement posted to his Telegram channel, Samara Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev acknowledged that “enemy UAVs attacked one of the industrial enterprises in Novokuybyshevsk this morning.” He added that emergency services were working at the site and that temporary restrictions on mobile internet had been introduced in the region. Flights at the Samara airport were also suspended.
Footage widely circulated on Russian social media showed large fires near the Novokuybyshevsk oil refinery, captured a towering blaze against the night sky. The sound of drones and explosions could be heard in the background.
Elsewhere, Ukrainian drones reportedly struck key defense industry facilities in Penza, including the Electropibor production association. This enterprise is known for manufacturing components used in Russian missile guidance systems and military communications equipment. Located nearby is the Radiopribor plant—Russia’s only facility producing mobile command posts for air defense units. Both sites appear to have been within the strike radius.
Russian authorities have not publicly detailed the extent of the damage in Penza, but local residents reported blasts near the industrial zone. No casualties have been confirmed.
Additional explosions were reported near the Dyagilevo airbase in Ryazan Oblast, a facility known to host long-range aviation units. Local officials also confirmed a drone strike on a business in the city of Ryazan, though the exact location and nature of the target were not disclosed. Videos posted by eyewitnesses showed a tall column of fire, suggesting a potential hit on a refinery or fuel depot.
In southern Russia’s Krasnodar Krai, a military airfield near Primorsko-Akhtarsk was also struck. NASA’s FIRMS satellite data indicated a fire in the vicinity of the base shortly after the reported time of the attack. This location is known to be used for launching Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones toward Ukrainian territory.
Ukrainian officials have not commented directly on the strikes, but senior figures have consistently emphasized Kyiv’s policy of targeting military infrastructure and critical assets far from civilian areas. Ukrainian authorities maintain that operations against oil refineries and fuel storage sites are intended to degrade the Kremlin’s revenue from petroleum exports—revenue that continues to sustain Russia’s war economy.
As stated by Ukrainian defense officials in earlier briefings, minimizing harm to civilians remains a priority, with strikes focused on installations supporting Moscow’s military campaign.