Ukrainian Kamikaze Drones Hit Intelligence Bases, Oil Refineries, and Russian Electrical Infrastructure

On the night of August 21, 2025, Ukraine launched a new wave of long-range drone attacks against military targets and strategic infrastructure on Russian territory and in occupied areas. According to Kyiv sources, the raids hit a GRU base in Crimea, an oil refinery in Rostov, and railway lines in the Voronezh region. Moscow, on the other hand, claims that all the unmanned aircraft were shot down.

Attack on GRU in Crimea

The most significant operation targeted a complex of the Russian military intelligence service (GRU) near Sevastopol, a key city occupied since 2014. According to local media, 10-15 Ukrainian drones flew over the area causing loud explosions and fires visible from kilometers away. The partisan organization Atesh had already identified that facility in 2024 as a base for an elite Russian naval unit.
NASA satellite images (FIRMS program) recorded a fire of about 2 km² near the runway of a military airport adjacent to the compound.

Refinery on Fire in Rostov

A second swarm of drones hit the Novoshakhtinsk refinery, in the heart of the Rostov region, one of the main crude oil processing plants in southern Russia. Photos and videos shared on social media show columns of black smoke rising from the site, despite the presence of Pantsir and Tor air defense systems, which reportedly failed to neutralize the UAVs. According to satellite images, the flames affected up to 4 km² of the plant.
The refinery, with a processing capacity of over 7 million tons of oil per year, had already been hit several times since 2022. The series of attacks on Russian energy infrastructure has already caused fuel shortages and domestic price increases.

Railways Under Attack in Voronezh

A third raid targeted an electrical transformation station in Zhuravka, in the Voronezh region, crucial for powering the local railway network. The explosions caused damage to transmission systems, with delays for at least 19 trains in transit.
According to Ukrainian media, this would be the 17th attack since the beginning of the conflict against this railway node, part of a campaign aimed at hindering Russian troop movements and reducing logistical capacity to the front.

Moscow's Version

The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that it shot down 49 Ukrainian drones on the night of August 21 alone: 21 over Rostov, 7 over Voronezh, and 4 in Crimea. In the same note, Moscow confirmed fires and damage to electrical infrastructure, attributing them to the remains of the downed aircraft.
Meanwhile, surveillance flights by NATO aircraft, including a US Navy P-8A Poseidon and a Turkish Bombardier, were tracked over the Black Sea, fueling Kremlin suspicions about intelligence data sharing with Kyiv.

The drone attacks confirm the Ukrainian strategy of striking deep into Russian territory, targeting intelligence bases, energy, and logistical infrastructure, in an attempt to wear down Moscow's war machine and reduce its capacity to sustain operations at the front.