Drone strike causes blaze at Russian industrial site in Kaluga Oblast, governor claims

Editor's Note: This is a developing story and is being updated.

A drone strike overnight on Feb. 15 caused a fire at an industrial facility in Russia's Kaluga Oblast, regional Governor Vladislav Shapsha reported.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crashed into an unspecified industrial site, the governor claimed.

"On the territory of an industrial enterprise in the Dzerzhinsky district, as a result of a UAV crash, a fire broke out in one of the buildings," Shapsha said.

Emergency workers were dispatched to the scene, and preliminary reports indicate there are no casualties, Shapsha said.

The Kyiv Independent could not verify Shapsha's claims at the time of publication.

While Shapsha did not specify the facility that came under attack, the Dzerzhinsky district is home to Russia's Pervyy Zavod plant, the largest petrochemical enterprise in Kaluga Oblast. Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) reported a successful attack on the facility in May 2024.

Last month, the Ukrainian military struck an oil depot in the town of Lyudinovo in Kaluga Oblast, causing a fire on the premises.

A number of other regions in Russia reported drone strikes on the night of Feb. 15.

A drone attack in the southern Russian city of Volgograd reportedly targeted an oil refinery and hit an apartment building, according to local residents. Russian officials have not commented on a possible attack.

Roman Busargin, the governor of Saratov Oblast, also reported a drone threat in the region.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported on Feb. 15 that 40 UAVs had been shot down over Kaluga, Volgograd, Saratov, and Rostov oblasts during the night.

The Kyiv Independent could not confirm these reports.

Ukraine routinely launches deep strikes against military and industrial facilities in Russia, primarily relying on domestically developed drones. Kyiv has particlarly taken aim at Russia's fossil fuel infrastructure as part of its strategy to undermine funding for the Kremlin's war chest.