Ukraine launched a massive attack on targets inside Russian territory on January 14, hitting weapons production plants, oil refineries, and warehouses.
Hours after the attacks, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius arrived in Kyiv in an unannounced visit as European leaders look to underscore their support for Ukraine.
Two industrial facilities in Russia's western Saratov region were damaged in a drone attack, regional Governor Roman Busargin said on social media, while Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation, said five Russian cities had been targeted.
Kovalenko did not specifically say Ukraine launched the attacks -- officials rarely comment directly on such events -- but he did say in a post on Telegram that a series of drone attacks targeting critical infrastructure across Russia have been undertaken.
"The porous Russian air defense continues to fail, allowing strikes on strategic economic facilities," he said, noting targets include factories manufacturing parts for weapons, oil refineries, fuel depots, warehouses, and air defenses, which are crucial for the Russian military and economy.
The January 14 attacks also targeted facilities in Kazan, the capital of Russia's Tatarstan, where a fire broke out near the Kazan Orgsintez plant, which produces high-strength plastics.
Kazan, Tatarstan:
Local Telegram channels shared videos of an enormous fire with officials in Tatarstan attributing the blaze to falling debris from intercepted drones. There were no reports of casualties.
In the Saratov region city of Engels, drones struck an industrial plant, igniting a fire at one of the fuel depots damaged in a previous attack on January 8.
Engels, Saratov region:
Busargin confirmed the facility was destroyed but provided no other specifics.
Flights at airports in the surrounding area -- which serve cities including Saratov, Penza, and Kaluga -- saw operations limited as a precaution.
Ukrainian officials said the Russian military sent 80 drones from several directions overnight, but Ukrainian air defenses managed to shoot down 58 drones over various regions, including Kyiv, Poltava, and Odesa.
While there were damages to private and residential buildings and injuries, no deaths have been reported.
Pistorius's visit comes a day after NATO chief Mark Rutte told members of the European Parliament that Ukraine is currently not in a position to begin peace talks with Russia as the three-year anniversary of the war nears.
"This visit proves that Germany, as the largest member of NATO in Europe, stands in solidarity with Ukraine and our allies," he said.
Among other things, Pistorius discussed the potential for joint military exercises and intelligence sharing. He also negotiated further military aid, including delivering new RCH 155 self-propelled howitzers that would help significantly increase the strength of Ukraine's artillery.
