Ukraine continues to launch UAV attacks on Russian territory

The Russian military announced that it shot down 58 Ukrainian suicide drones, in a second consecutive day of large-scale attacks on the country's territory.

"Over the night and morning of March 13, Ukraine's attempt to carry out drone attacks on several targets on Russian territory was thwarted," the Russian Defense Ministry announced on Telegram today.

The agency said Russian air defenses shot down a total of 58 Ukrainian drones, with the most in Voronezh province with 29. Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, Leningrad and Ryazan provinces were also targeted in the Ukrainian raid.

The Russian Defense Ministry did not say how many UAVs Ukraine deployed in the large-scale attack or whether any of them penetrated the country's air defense system.

Ryazan Governor Pavel Malkov announced on the same day that a Ukrainian UAV had hit an oil refinery in the province, causing a fire. "Preliminary information indicates that there are injuries," Malkov said.

Another oil refinery near St. Petersburg, Leningrad Oblast, was also targeted by a Ukrainian UAV, but it was shot down and caused no damage, according to Oblast Governor Alexander Drozdenko.

Russia claims to have intercepted nearly 60 Ukrainian UAVs — An oil refinery in Ryazan province burns after being attacked by a Ukrainian UAV in a video posted on March 13. Video: X/ *Maria Avdeeva*

Alexander Gussev, head of Voronezh province, said air defense forces had intercepted more than 30 Ukrainian UAVs in the sky over the province, more than the Russian Defense Ministry had given, adding that the attack had caused little damage.

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry has not commented on the information.

This is one of the largest UAV attacks by Ukraine since the beginning of the war, and is also the second consecutive day of large-scale attacks by Kiev. On March 12, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that it had intercepted 25 UAVs in 7 provinces across the country, including 11 in Kursk province.

Local officials said the Ukrainian UAV attack caused fires at oil and gas facilities in the two provinces of Nizhny Novgorod and Oryol.

Ukraine has carried out repeated UAV attacks on enemy territory as Russia prepares to hold presidential elections on March 15-17.

Ukraine's Scythe long-range UAV. Photo: Terminal Autonomy — Ukraine's long-range UAV "Scythe". Photo: *Terminal Autonomy*

The pro-Ukrainian militia group called the Free Russian Corps (FRL) announced on March 12 that it had crossed the border and taken control of the village of Tetkino in Kursk province, after Russian forces withdrew from there.

"We chose to time this campaign to coincide with the election week. As Russian citizens, we want to express our views on this election and the government of Vladimir Putin," said Alexey Baranovsky, a member of the FRL.

The FRL is a group of Russians supporting Ukraine in the conflict, described as part of an international corps involved in defending Ukrainian territory.

The Russian Defense Ministry later denied the FRL’s claims, claiming that the military and border guards of the Federal Security Service (FSB) had thwarted the group’s operation. The agency also released a video of Russian servicemen in the village of Tetkino to show that the situation there remained calm.

Experts say there is no evidence that the Ukrainian drone strikes and the FRL attacks were coordinated. "However, it is no coincidence that these events occurred just days before the Russian presidential election," said Thomas Newdick, a military expert at War Zone .