Ukrainian drones hit Russian infra in Volgograd, military airbase in Crimea

A wave of Ukrainian drone attacks has struck key Russian infrastructure and military assets, with separate operations targeting the southern Volgograd region and a critical airbase in Russian-occupied Crimea, according to official sources on both sides of the conflict.

In Volgograd, a drone strike overnight damaged a power line and ignited a fire at a railway station building, the regional administration said on Monday. Citing governor Andrei Bocharov, officials reported that an unexploded drone was also discovered on railway tracks near the Archeda train station, though “no damage to the tracks has been reported.”

The incident caused several regional train delays, according to Russian state news agency TASS. Flights at Volgograd’s regional airport were also suspended for several hours and only resumed at approximately 03:00 GMT, Russia’s civil aviation authority Rosaviatsia confirmed on Telegram.

The Russian Ministry of Defence claimed that 61 Ukrainian drones were intercepted across various regions overnight, including six over Volgograd. The ministry did not specify how many drones had been launched in total. Governor Bocharov described the assault as “massive,” saying it was aimed at energy and transport infrastructure in the region, which lies close to the Ukrainian border.

In a separate but related operation, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) said on Monday that it had successfully carried out a drone strike on the Saky airbase in Crimea, destroying a Russian Su-30SM fighter jet and damaging four other aircraft.

According to the SBU’s official statement, one additional Su-30SM and three Su-24 bombers were damaged, while an aviation weapons depot was also struck. “The enemy suffered significant losses. After all, just one Su-30SM aircraft can cost an average of $35 to $50 million,” the agency noted.

The Su-30SM is a twin-engine, multirole fighter used by Russia for both ground attack and air superiority missions, while the Su-24 is a supersonic strike bomber developed during the Soviet era. Both types of aircraft have been regularly deployed in operations against Ukrainian targets. In addition to combat roles, they are used for patrols, radar surveillance, target guidance, and escorting long-range bombers, according to Kyiv Independent.

“The successful special operation carried out by the SBU in Saki marks another step toward weakening the enemy's capacity to wage its war of aggression against Ukraine,” the agency added. It said the airbase was chosen for its strategic importance to Russia’s military campaign and Black Sea operations.

The strike on Saky follows a broader pattern of Ukrainian sabotage missions, including Operation Spider’s Web in May, which reportedly targeted over 40 Russian bombers at the Olenya and Belaya airbases. At the time, an SBU official told Kyiv Independent that the attack had damaged aircraft such as the A-50, Tu-95 and Tu-22M3.

Russia has yet to issue a statement regarding the latest strikes on Crimea, and Reuters noted it could not independently verify either set of claims. Ukraine, meanwhile, has continued its policy of striking deep inside Russian-held territory, aiming to undermine Moscow’s logistical and aerial capabilities as the war enters a new phase.

With agency inputs