Ukraine's drone campaign forces Russia to redeploy air defenses as strikes hit energy and military infrastructure

Jun 24, 2026

Ukraine's escalating long-range drone campaign has struck major Russian energy and military targets, including the Orenburg Gas Processing Plant and Moscow's primary oil refinery. In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin has redeployed hundreds of air defense launchers from outer regions to protect Moscow, Valdai, and the Kerch Bridge. Meanwhile, Ukrainian strikes have knocked out power in Sevastopol, Crimea, while border tensions prompt mandatory evacuations in Ukraine's northern Chernihiv region.

Ukrainian strikes on Russian infrastructure

▪Moscow's oil refinery will be offline for at least six months after suffering extensive damage from Ukrainian drone attacks.
▪Ukrainian forces targeted the Dubna Space Communications Center near Moscow and a second satellite communications center in the Vladimir region.
▪Ukrainian drones struck two oil refineries in Ufa and an oil depot in the Krasnodar region.
▪Ukrainian forces struck the Orenburg Gas Processing Plant, which houses Russia's only helium plant, causing a fire at the complex.

Russian air defense redeployment

▪Russia has amassed hundreds of air defense missile launchers in the Moscow region and redeployed nearly 90 launchers to Valdai.
▪Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the redeployment of air defense systems from Russian regions to Moscow, Valdai, and the Kerch Bridge.

Belarus border evacuation orders

▪Ukrainian military officials ordered a mandatory evacuation starting July 1, 2026, for communities in the Chernihiv region bordering Belarus.
▪Belarus has turned off signal repeaters on its soil that Ukraine claims were used to guide Russian drone attacks.

Crimea power grid attacks

▪Ukrainian drone strikes hit the main substation at the Sevastopol power plant, knocking out power in the Crimean city.
▪The Russian-installed governor of Sevastopol mandated early closing for public transport and cafés and dimmed street lights due to attacks.

Civilian casualties from strikes

▪Two staff members of Norwegian People's Aid were killed and four others were injured during a Russian attack in Ukraine.
▪A Ukrainian drone strike in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod region killed two people and damaged an industrial facility.
▪A Russian drone strike on a gas station in Ukraine's Sumy region injured four people on June 25, 2026.