In a dramatic escalation of the ongoing conflict, Ukraine launched a series of overnight drone strikes on November 4, 2025, targeting Russian military, industrial, and energy facilities deep within Russian territory. The strikes, which reached as far as 1,300 kilometers (about 800 miles) inside Russia, marked one of the deepest incursions by Ukrainian drones to date, according to reports from multiple international media outlets, including the National Security Journal and the Associated Press.
The most spectacular of these strikes occurred in Sterlitamak, a city in Russia’s Republic of Bashkortostan. Regional Governor Radiy Habirov confirmed in an online statement that two drones had targeted an industrial facility in the city, stating, “Both drones were shot down. There were no casualties, and the facility was operating normally.” Despite these reassurances, the city administration reported a significant explosion at the Sterlitamak Petrochemical Plant, which led to the partial collapse of its water treatment facility. Five people were working at the site at the time, but no injuries were reported. The cause of the explosion remains under investigation, and the plant—known for producing rubber and aviation fuel—had not previously been attacked, according to city officials.
These strikes were not limited to Bashkortostan. Explosions and fires were also reported at oil facilities in Kstovo, in the Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, and at an ammunition site in the Russian-occupied city of Dovzhansk in Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine. The National Security Journal noted that the attacks on Kstovo targeted two major oil refineries—IBUR Kstovo and Lukoil Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez—setting off large fires that were widely shared on social media. In Lipetsk, explosions occurred near the Lipetsk Air Base, a crucial training center for Russian pilots, further underscoring the breadth of Ukraine’s reach.
Moscow responded by claiming its air defenses had successfully intercepted 85 drones overnight across a wide swath of Russian territory, including the oblasts of Voronezh, Nizhny Novgorod, Belgorod, Kursk, Lipetsk, Volgograd, Sverdlovsk, and Bashkortostan. The Russian Defense Ministry’s statement was echoed in reports by AP and other outlets, though independent verification of the full extent of these interceptions remains elusive.
The attacks come as both sides shift their focus toward energy infrastructure and supply lines with the approach of winter. Russia has renewed its campaign against Ukraine’s energy grid, targeting specific regions and gas infrastructure in an effort to sap morale and disrupt logistics. In turn, Ukraine has declared Russian oil refineries and similar facilities to be “legitimate military targets,” arguing that profits from these industries directly fund Moscow’s military operations. Ukrainian strikes have regularly targeted military and industrial assets not only in occupied territories but also deep inside Russia, part of a broader effort to disrupt the Kremlin’s war machine.
The impact of these operations was felt by civilians on both sides of the border. In Russia’s Volgograd and Kursk oblasts, electrical substations were damaged by drone debris, leaving more than 16,000 residents without power. The governor of Volgograd, Andrey Bocharov, confirmed the damage, while Kursk’s Alexander Khinshtein reported a similar attack in the city of Rylsk. Just days earlier, on October 30, a fire at a thermal power plant in Russian-occupied Luhansk Oblast caused widespread outages across the region, as reported by independent media outlet Astra.
Meanwhile, the intensity of the conflict continues unabated in eastern Ukraine. The city of Pokrovsk, a strategic Ukrainian stronghold in the Donetsk region, remains fiercely contested. According to the Institute for the Study of War, Russian forces “continue to advance in the Pokrovsk direction and appear to be operating with increasing comfort within Pokrovsk itself.” The battle for control of this city has stretched on for over a year, with both sides pouring significant resources into the fight.
The overnight escalation was not one-sided. Ukrainian officials reported that Russia bombarded the southeastern Dnipropetrovsk region with drones, missiles, and artillery, resulting in the death of one person and injuries to 11 others, including two children. Ukraine’s air force stated that Russia fired seven missiles of various types and launched 130 strike and decoy drones during the night. The intensity of these exchanges underscores how both countries are leveraging drone technology and long-range strikes to try and tip the balance as the war grinds into its fourth year.
The reverberations of the conflict have not been limited to Ukraine and Russia. Romania’s Defense Ministry reported that Russia carried out two overnight attacks on Ukraine’s Danube port infrastructure, close to the border with the NATO member country. In response to “numerous explosions observed on the Ukrainian shore,” Romania scrambled fighter jets from two separate airbases for air policing missions, a sign of the growing regional anxiety over the widening scope of the war.
The psychological impact of Ukraine’s deep strikes inside Russia has been significant. As AP noted, these attacks have “embarrassed Moscow, with officials being unforthcoming about any damage, and unnerved Russians.” The use of domestically produced drones by Ukraine has enabled it to reach targets previously thought to be out of range, further complicating Russia’s defensive calculus. For ordinary Russians, the sense of security that once came from geographic distance has now been shattered, as explosions rock cities far from the front lines.
Ukrainian officials have repeatedly justified their choice of targets, insisting that facilities such as oil refineries and petrochemical plants are integral to Russia’s war effort. By disrupting these sites, Kyiv aims to undermine Moscow’s ability to supply and sustain its invasion. As the coldest months of the year approach, both sides are keenly aware that energy resilience and logistical endurance could prove decisive. Millions of Ukrainians are bracing for another winter of power cuts and blackouts, while Russian regions face the prospect of similar disruptions as the tit-for-tat strikes continue.
Despite the high stakes and mounting casualties, neither side appears ready to back down. The current phase of the conflict is marked by a relentless push for strategic advantage, whether through battlefield gains in eastern Ukraine or by striking at the industrial heart of the adversary. As winter closes in, the war’s front lines may be measured not just in kilometers, but in kilowatts and barrels of oil—a grim reminder of the many ways modern warfare now unfolds.
