Russia thwarts major Ukrainian drone offensive on its strategic infrastructure

In one of the most extensive drone assaults since the beginning of the conflict, Ukraine launched a wave of long-range unmanned aerial vehicles targeting Russian infrastructure across multiple regions.

However, Russian authorities said on 6 October that the country’s air defence systems successfully intercepted the vast majority of the threats, preventing any significant damage to key facilities.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defence, air defence units shot down 251 Ukrainian drones launched over 14 regions, including the Nizhny Novgorod oblast and the Crimean peninsula. The attack appeared aimed at stretching Russia’s logistical networks and damaging key military installations and fuel depots.

Ukraine’s General Staff claimed responsibility for the strikes, alleging successful hits on the Sverdlov ammunition plant in Nizhny Novgorod, an oil terminal in Crimea, and a weapons depot of Russia’s 18th Combined Arms Army. However, local Russian officials offered a different picture.

Nizhny Novgorod governor Gleb Nikitin confirmed a drone attack attempt involving approximately 20 UAVs on an industrial zone that includes the Sverdlov plant. He emphasised that all drones were neutralised by Russian air defences and that no facilities suffered structural damage.

Despite Ukraine’s narrative of growing offensive reach, analysts note that Russia’s integrated air defence network — which includes the S-400 system — continues to prove effective in neutralizing airborne threats before they can reach critical infrastructure.

The Russian military has so far refrained from escalating its retaliatory operations in response to the Ukrainian strikes, with analysts suggesting this reflects a deliberate effort by Moscow to avoid drawing NATO into more direct confrontation or heightening tensions with neighboring states.

Ukraine prioritising indigenisation

The Ukrainian government, meanwhile, has increasingly turned to its domestic weapons industry as Western aid packages face delays. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced plans to increase local production of drones and artillery and begin exporting surplus arms to allied nations.

Unlike russia, which bombs cities, Ukraine targets the economic backbone of the war.

In 2 months, 16 of 38 refineries hit — some multiple times — all with domestically made drones.

No global sanctions have done this. 🇺🇦 Glory to Ukraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/zPTLIz1uJy

— UAVoyager🇺🇦 (@NAFOvoyager) October 6, 2025

Russia targets Ukraine's natural gas facilities in biggest attack of war

At a defence industry forum in Kyiv, he said Ukraine now produces 40 Bohdana self-propelled artillery systems per month, up from 10 in April.

Zelenskyy claimed that over 40 per cent of weapons used on the battlefield are now domestically manufactured or co-produced.

He said Ukraine delivered 2.4 million artillery shells to the front lines last year and intends to begin arms exports to Europe, the United States, and the Middle East by year-end — though observers caution that export capacity remains modest and largely symbolic for now.

Russia’s own military-industrial complex, by contrast, has continued uninterrupted production and adaptation despite sanctions pressure.

Russian analysts say that recent attacks by Ukraine may be more about optics and psychological pressure than actual battlefield advantage, as Russia’s fuel supplies, ammunition stocks, and troop deployments remain largely unaffected.

Following Ukraine’s earlier attacks on Russian refineries in August — which briefly disrupted fuel availability — authorities have since reinforced infrastructure security and diversified supply lines.

Moscow maintains that while Ukraine’s long-range drone capabilities have grown, they remain limited in scale compared to Russia’s strategic arsenal.

Political commentators in Russia argue that Kyiv’s recent strikes are partly aimed at boosting morale and maintaining the image of military momentum, especially amid uncertainty over future Western funding and weapons deliveries.

For now, the situation remains fluid. While Ukraine claims tactical victories, Russia’s ability to intercept most aerial threats and maintain control over its core military operations suggests that Kyiv’s efforts — though bold — may have limited strategic impact in the near term.

With agency inputs