Swarm of drones hits energy infrastructure in Russia's Astrakhan region
A swarm of drones attacked key fuel and energy infrastructure in Russia's Astrakhan region, according to regional Governor Igor Babushkin. In a statement on his official Telegram channel, Babushkin described the assault as massive, indicating that a strategic target was among those hit. Fortunately, workers were evacuated in advance, but debris from destroyed drones caused a blaze that left one person injured and hospitalized. Emergency services responded swiftly, managing to contain the fire, and Babushkin assured residents that the situation is under control.
The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that air defense forces intercepted and destroyed 72 Ukrainian drones across several regions, with Astrakhan and Kursk experiencing the highest numbers of incursions.
Between 10:25 PM on March 16 and 7:00 AM on March 17, 22 drones were downed, with the majority taking place in Astrakhan. Other regions affected include Kalmykia with three drones intercepted, Bryansk and Krasnodar Krai each with two, and Volgograd and Rostov with one each. The Defense Ministry noted that the most intense strikes occurred in the Kursk region, where 36 drones were neutralized. Additionally, Oryol and Tula regions also experienced drone activity.