Ukraine has launched drone attacks on at atleast three oil refineries deep inside Russia, as Kyiv intensifies its cross border strikes days before President Vladimir Putin's anticipated re-election slated for 17th March.
With the aim of decreasing the Russian economic potential, Ukraine launched three drone attacks to the southern Russian city of Belgorod, Novogorod and one other today morning.
lt struck three Russian oil refineries targeted in the towns of Ryazan, about about 130 miles southeast of Moscow, Kstovo in the Nizhny Novogorod region nearly 300 miles east of the capital and Kirishi in Russia's northwest still of Moscow.
The trio are said to be the largest refineries in the world's largest country and the second major supplier of oil next to Saudi Arabia in the Middle East.
There was also an attempted target on the Novoshakhtinsky oil refinery in the town of Rostov-on-Don the head of the Russian intelligence reported.
The strikes marked the second consecutive day of Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy sites and the locations targeted represent a spate of attacks well within Russia's territory.
Ukraine launched the drone attacks after a chaotic day on the Russian side of the Ukrainian border during which pro-Ukranian groups of the Russian fighters said they launched cross border attacks and claimed to have gained control of village of Tyotkino in Russia Kursk region and the regional governor said that the village remained on fire all day.
The Freedom for Russia Legion, a group of Russian dissidents fighting for Ukraine which has previously claimed responsibility for incursions into Russia said in a series of posts on Telegram on Wednesday that its fighters had destroyed a command center in the village of Tyotkino in the Kursk region and were advancing further.
Strikes come as Russia's election nears.
Russia defence ministry said its air defences shot down and destroyed 58 drones overnight including some that as far as the Leningrad region which borders Finland.
Kyiv's latest strikes are not only intended to target Russia's deep oil reserves but also to bring home to Russians the impact of the war just as the country prepares for a presidential election.
The vote is essentially certain to hand Putin a fifth term extending his rule into the 2030s.
Voting will take place over three days from tomorrow with President Putin sailing towards another spell in power in a ballot that he is already guaranteed a victory with no serious competition standing in his way.
