On March 15, 2026, Ukrainian forces executed one of the largest coordinated aerial operations of the conflict, deploying 170 drones across thirteen Russian regions. The strikes specifically targeted critical energy infrastructure, including a major oil refinery in the Krasnodar Krai, while missile fire in Belgorod disrupted essential utility networks for local residents.

Massive Drone Wave

Russia's Ministry of Defense reported intercepting 170 Ukrainian drones across 13 different regions in a single night.

Energy Infrastructure Hit

A significant fire broke out at a major oil refinery in the Krasnodar region following drone debris impact.

Belgorod Utility Failure

Missile strikes on the border city of Belgorod caused widespread outages of electricity and water services.

Ukraine launched a large-scale drone and missile attack on Russian territory on March 15, 2026, striking targets across 13 regions. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that its air defense systems intercepted 170 (drones) — Ukrainian drones shot down across 13 Russian regions during the assault. The attack targeted critical energy infrastructure in southern and western Russia, according to multiple reports. Ukrainian forces used both drones and missiles in the operation, making it one of the broader strikes on Russian territory in recent months.

A significant fire broke out at an oil facility in the Krasnodar region after drone debris struck the site, Russian authorities confirmed. The facility has been identified in Portuguese-language reporting by RTP and SAPO as one of Russia's largest oil refineries. The fire at the oil installation represented one of the most visible consequences of the overnight attack on energy infrastructure in southern Russia. Drone debris, rather than a direct hit, was cited as the cause of the blaze, according to Reuters. The Krasnodar region has previously been the target of Ukrainian drone strikes on energy and fuel storage facilities.

Ukraine has conducted repeated drone and missile strikes against Russian energy infrastructure since the full-scale conflict began in February 2022. The Krasnodar region, home to significant oil refining capacity in southern Russia, has been targeted in multiple previous Ukrainian drone operations. Belgorod Oblast, which borders Ukraine, has been subject to frequent cross-border strikes throughout the conflict due to its proximity to Ukrainian territory. Ukrainian attacks on Russian fuel and energy facilities have been a consistent feature of the broader campaign to degrade Russian military logistics and industrial capacity.

The city of Belgorod was struck by missiles during the same operation, causing disruptions to electricity and water supplies for residents, according to reporting by Ziare.com and Adevarul. The missile strikes on Belgorod added to a pattern of attacks on the city, which sits close to the Ukrainian border and has been hit on numerous occasions throughout the conflict. The combination of drone and missile strikes across 13 regions simultaneously indicated a coordinated effort to overwhelm Russian air defense coverage over a wide geographic area. Russian authorities reported the air defense response across the affected regions but did not provide a full accounting of damage at all targeted sites. No confirmed information was available from Ukrainian official sources regarding the specific objectives or outcomes of the March 15 operation.