[UPDATES] As of 3 p.m., the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine officially confirmed the largest strike on Russian military targets, ranging from 200 to 1,100 km inside Russian territory. Key regions hit included Bryansk, Saratov, Tula, and Tatarstan.
The Kristall oil storage in Engels, Saratov, was targeted again, reigniting fires just extinguished from a previous attack. The Bryansk chemical plant in Selzo, a strategic munitions facility, also suffered heavy damage, with secondary explosions lasting hours. It produces ammunition for barrel artillery, multiple launch rocket systems, aviation, engineering ammunition and components of X-59 cruise missiles. Two Russian anti-aircraft systems, Tor and Buk, were destroyed.
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Ukraine’s forces, including drones, special ops, missile units, and intelligence, coordinated these strikes. Fires were also reported at the Saratov oil refinery and Kazanorgsintez plant in Tatarstan, both crucial to Russia’s war effort.
[UPDATES] As of 1 p.m., sources in Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) have revealed to Kyiv Post that the SBU and Defense Forces conducted a targeted operation resulting in significant damage to several key Russian facilities, including chemical plants, refineries, and the Engels airfield. Several key sites across Russia were hit during a joint special operation:
- Aleksinsky Chemical Plant (Tula Region): SBU drones caused a major fire at the facility.
- Engels Airfield (Saratov Region): Ammunition depots storing glide bombs and cruise missiles were struck. Fires from the drone strikes continue to burn.
- Saratov Oil Refinery: A large-scale fire erupted after the attack.
- Bryansk Chemical Plant: Direct missile hits triggered a massive fire and subsequent explosions.
“The SBU and Defense Forces are systematically targeting military facilities and enterprises supporting Russia’s military-industrial complex,” an SBU source stated. “Each damaged ammunition depot, refinery, tank farm, or chemical plant weakens Russia’s ability to wage war against Ukraine.”
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Ukrainian drones targeted several Russian regions late at night on Monday, Jan. 13 and early morning on Tuesday, Jan. 14, in a massive aerial assault on chemical plants producing explosives and ammunition, as well as fuel storage facilities.
According to Ukrainian and Russian Telegram channels, explosions and fires were reported in at least seven regions, including Saratov, Voronezh, Oryol, Tula, and Tatarstan.
While Ukrainian military authorities have not confirmed details, Russian milbloggers claim the drones were Ukrainian-made “Liutyi” models, similar to the Turkish Bayraktar drones.
The Liutyi (meaning “fierce”) is a Ukrainian long-range strike UAV capable of hitting targets at distances up to 1,000 km. Its high efficiency has been proven by a series of successful attacks on Russian oil refineries, fuel depots, helicopter bases, and other strategic facilities.
The Russian Telegram channel Airborne Forces for Honesty and Justice, widely believed to be linked to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, reported that over 200 Ukrainian drones, including the “PD-2,” “Beaver,” “Liutyi” and “UJ-22” models, were in action.
The channel noted, “We can only state the fact that the enemy has mass-produced UAVs with a range of more than 1,000 km.”
Nilolaevsky Vanyok, the biggest monitoring channel in Ukraine, reported that the assault involved “a pack of various types of UAVs,” including those capable of carrying large mines and some guided bombs (KABs).
According to the Telegram channel “Beware, News”, an oil depot in Engels was targeted, reportedly hit twice before catching fire.
The same oil depot was attacked on Jan. 8, with firefighting efforts lasting several days. The fire was fully extinguished by Jan.13, as Busargin previously reported. It remains uncertain if the latest strike hit the same facility.
As a precaution, schools in Saratov and Engels shifted to remote learning for Jan. 14.
In Tatarstan’s capital, Kazan, drones reportedly attacked a liquefied natural gas (LNG) storage facility on Severo-Zapadnaya Street, owned by Gazprom.
While Telegram channels suggested three storage tanks caught fire, local authorities reported only one.
In Engels, Saratov region, an industrial enterprise was damaged in the attack, Governor Roman Busargin said. The exact extent of the damage is unclear, but no injuries were reported.
Some Telegram channels also mentioned the Kazanorgsintez chemical plant, but local officials confirmed the plant was unaffected. The city’s Emergency Dispatch Service (EDDS) clarified that the fire occurred at another location.
Tatarstan’s leader, Rustam Minnikhanov, claimed that visited the site and confirmed there were “no casualties or significant damage.” He added that all businesses in the area were operating normally.
Bryansk Governor Alexander Bogomaz reported late at night on Monday, Jan. 13, that Russian air defenses foiled a “combined missile strike” by Ukrainian forces. He claimed that “all targets were destroyed with no injuries reported.”
Telegram channels were the first to report the shelling in the region, sharing information from residents. According to channels like Mash, Shot, and Astra, the Bryansk Chemical Plant in the village of Seltso was hit.
The plant, named after the 50th anniversary of the USSR, is known for producing explosives, according to Radio Liberty. This isn’t the first time the plant has been targeted by drones.
According to the Mash Telegram channel, people heard about 30 explosions. It is claimed that Bryansk was attacked by ATACMS missiles. Shot reports that many flashes were visible over the city, and on TV they warn of a missile danger in the region.
Later Mash reported, that the fragments of the HIMARS missile fell on the premises of the Silicon plant in Bryansk.
In the Oryol region, Governor Andrey Klychkov reported that 17 drones were shot down. No injuries or property damage were recorded.
In Voronezh, Governor Alexander Gusev stated that several drones were destroyed overnight, with no casualties or damage on the ground.
In the Tula region, falling drone debris caused damage in the city of Aleksin, including to cars and outbuildings. Governor Dmitry Milyaev said a total of 17 drones were intercepted in the region overnight.
At 6:30 a.m. Moscow time, the Federal Air Transport Agency imposed temporary flight restrictions at airports in Kazan, Kaluga, Saratov, and Tambov. Restrictions in Kaluga and Tambov were lifted within an hour, but new restrictions were imposed on airports in Penza and Ulyanovsk.
As of now, the Russian Defense Ministry has not issued an official statement regarding the drone attacks.
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