Ukrainian drones hit power plants deep in Russia

Ukraine has carried out one of its biggest drone attacks on Russia yet, with videos showing a series of explosions and fires at power stations and refineries, including in Moscow.

- Luke Harding

Russia's defence ministry downplayed the overnight strikes. It said it had intercepted and destroyed 158 unmanned enemy aerial vehicles. These were shot down over 15 regions, it claimed.

The strikes came as Russia bombarded Ukraine's second city of Kharkiv and made further incremental gains in the eastern Donbas region. Its forces have been rolling forward in recent weeks and are closing in on the city of Pokrovsk.

Footage posted on Telegram channels suggested some of the long-range Ukrainian drones hit targets deep inside Russia, causing damage. At least one struck an oil refinery in the Kapotnya district in south-east Moscow.

More drones hit a thermal power station in the Tver region, north of Moscow. There was an explosion at the Konakovo station, one of the biggest in Russia, soon after dawn at about 5am. An orange fireball engulfed several transformers.

Another coal-fired power plant at Kashira in Moscow oblast was also reportedly hit. The extent of the damage was unclear. Three drones were allegedly used. Russian officials said others crossed into the Voronezh, Tula, Kaluga, Bryansk, Belgorod, Lipetsk and Kursk regions.