Ukraine launched a wave of drone strikes deep inside Russian territory early on July 29, damaging energy facilities in two regions, Russia's Defense Ministry and regional officials said a day after a reported Ukrainian attack set a Russian oil refinery on fire.
In the western Russian region of Oryol, a power plant was damaged by falling debris from two downed Ukrainian drones over the Glazunovsky district, regional Governor Andrei Klychkov said on Telegram.
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"Emergency services are dealing with the consequences of the air attack, and law enforcement agencies are working at the scene," Klychkov wrote, without specifying the type of damage the power plant sustained.
In Voronezh, a utility infrastructure was damaged in the village of Gazoprovod, in the region's southern Ostrogozhsky district, also by falling drone debris. regional Governor Aleksandr Gusev said on Telegram.
Russia's Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said its air defenses destroyed 39 Ukrainian drones: 19 drones were intercepted over the Kursk region, nine were downed over Belgorod, three over Voronezh, five over Bryansk, and three over the Leningrad region.
The Russian claims could not be independently verified.
It was the second day in a row that reported Ukrainian attacks caused damage to Russian energy facilities.
On July 28, suspected Ukrainian military drones struck an oil storage depot in the Kursk region, with video posted online showing a huge blaze lighting up the sky. Regional Governor Aleksei Smirnov said three storage tanks caught fire as a result of the drone strike.
Since the early days of Russia's unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Moscow's forces have systematically targeted Ukrainian energy and civilian infrastructure facilities, causing casualties and huge damage.
In turn Ukraine has started targeting oil-refining facilities and other energy infrastructure inside Russia that mainly work for the military.
On July 27, Ukrayinska Pravda reported on July 27 that Ukrainian drones had hit an oil refinery in Russia’s Ryazan region.
Local resident Tetyana, 72, feeds a cat in front of a burning apartment building after shelling in the town of Toretsk, Donetsk region, on July 29.
Meanwhile, Russian shelling of Ukraine's southern cities of Kherson and Nikopol early on July 29 wounded 20 people, including five children, regional and local officials reported.
In Nikopol, 13 apartment buildings as well as gas pipelines, power lines, and an administrative building were also damaged, according to Dnipropetrovsk regional Governor Oleksandr Sayuka.
Ukrainian air-defense systems shot down a Russian guided missile and all nine drones launched by Russia at its regions on July 29, the commander of Ukraine's air force, General Mykola Oleshchuk said.
On the battlefield, Russian forces over the past 24 hours have been pressing with an offensive in the eastern Donetsk region in the direction of the mining city of Pokrovsk and the town of Toretsk, Ukraine's military reported.
Constant shelling has prompted the evacuation of hundreds of civilians from the area, local officials told RFE/RL.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on July 28 that the front line in Pokrovsk was subject to the "most severe enemy attacks."
RFE/RL reported that Russia captured two villages near Pokrovsk -- Prohres and Vovche -- which was confirmed by the Ukrainian military.