[50656] Massive drone attack across Russia: strikes on energy facilities and communications disruptions

Massive drone attack across Russia: strikes on energy facilities and communications disruptions

Overnight (May 5, 2026), Russia suffered a large-scale drone attack, which, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense, involved the interception of 289 unmanned aerial vehicles over 18 different regions. According to the report by RIA Novosti, the systems operated over long ranges, from the city of Bryansk to the Crimean Peninsula and Tatarstan.

In the Leningrad region, a hit was reported on an industrial complex in the city of Kirishi, where the massive "KINEF" oil refinery is located. Regional Governor Alexander Drozdenko confirmed that 29 drones were intercepted over the region, and that a fire broke out at the complex as a result of the attack, which was reported by the Anatoly Shariy channel as an attempt to disrupt the operation of one of Russia's most important energy facilities.

Simultaneously, channels such as Dvach reported unusual incidents in cities far from the border, including Cheboksary – where a strike on the "VNIIR-Progress" defense factory was reported, along with three wounded. The "Newsach/Dvach" channel emphasized that for the first time, a missile alert was activated in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug (HMAO), located about 2,000 kilometers from the border with Ukraine.

Against the backdrop of these events, severe disruptions were felt in mobile internet service in Moscow and St. Petersburg. While RT in Russian and official sources attributed the disruptions to security measures ahead of the May 9th celebrations, opposition channels such as Dozhd TV Channel claimed that the systems were being shut down to prevent the documentation of further strikes.

On the other hand, the Odessa as it is Telegram channel and others identified with the Ukrainian side reported counter-strikes by the Russian military in Ukraine using 164 drones and 11 ballistic missiles, noting that Ukrainian defense systems intercepted most of them. Simultaneously, BBC News Russian mentioned the statements regarding a "silent state" declared by the parties, a state that appears to have been completely broken this past night.