In Russia, reports are spreading about a large-scale drone attack that took place overnight on May 26, affecting several regions of the country
Explosions heard in territories such as Tatarstan, the Ivanovo region, Tula, and other areas made an impression on residents and once again cast doubt on the official security regime. Russian sources, including Telegram channels Astra, Baza, Shot, along with official statements from regional authorities and the Russian Ministry of Defense, uniformly reported that no consequences from the massive attack had been recorded, and that air defense systems allegedly managed to intercept nearly a hundred drones attempting to penetrate Russian territory. According to information circulated by local residents, strikes were recorded in several key regions. Notably, in the city of Tula, where one of the country's main military and defense plants — NPO Spław — is located, involved in developing and producing rocket artillery systems. Drone attacks are not new there: in May, the city experienced at least two strikes. There were also reports of explosions in Kineshma, Ivanovo region, where regional administration stated that debris from drones fell in an industrial zone, damaging storage facilities for manufacturing materials. Residents add that the attacks were accompanied by explosions at the Dmitrovsky chemical plant located in the city. Videos and photos from Telegram channels confirm that after the explosions in Kineshma, a column of smoke rose into the sky. Local authorities and emergency services in the Ivanovo region reported that drone debris fell in the city’s industrial zone and damaged warehouse or utility buildings. Meanwhile, Kineshma, located more than a thousand kilometers from the Ukrainian border, continues to face threats of drone attacks. In this context, there are also reports of several drones being shot down in the sky over Yelabuga, where a drone assembly plant of the "Shahid" type is located. This facility has previously been targeted, and it appears that its protection remains under threat. It is worth noting that on Tuesday, Russian airports — including those in Kaluga, Nizhnekamsk, as well as Moscow’s Domodedovo and Zhukovsky — experienced temporary restrictions on air traffic, which experts link to increased drone activity near Russian airspace. The Russian Ministry of Defense, in a morning report, claimed that 96 Ukrainian drones were shot down, allegedly attempting to attack 12 regions of Russia. Specifically, they reported the destruction of 31 drones over the Bryansk region, 16 in Belgorod, 11 in Kursk, 9 in Tula, 8 in Oryol, and 6 in Moscow region. Additionally, media mention five and four drones respectively in Kaluga and Ivanovo regions, as well as one each in Yaroslavl and Rzhev. However, official agencies again refrain from providing precise numbers regarding the total number of drones attacked, instead focusing on reports of their interception and preventive measures. Overall, this series of events once again demonstrates the high tension in the Russian information and military space and shows an increase in Ukrainian efforts to counter Russia’s defense-industrial complex, particularly in the field of unmanned technologies. Well-informed sources emphasize that the attacks were carried out even with high security and air defense system levels in place, indicating some effectiveness of Ukrainian operations in this area and ongoing uncertainty within Russia regarding the capabilities available for protecting strategic facilities.