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While Kiev was preparing another large ground operation on the Russian territory, Ukrainian forces launched massive waves of drone strikes on the Russian rear regions.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, on the night of March 12, 25 Ukrainian UAVs were destroyed over the Russian territory, including:
- 2 UAVs in the Moscow region
- 1 UAV in the Leningrad region
- 7 UAVS in the Belgorod region
- 11 UAVs in the Kursk region
- 1 UAV in the Bryansk region
- 1 UAV in the Tula region
- 2 UAVs in the Oryol region.
Most of the Ukrainian drones targeted the border Belgorod and Tula regions, where the Ukrainian military attempted ground operations across the Russian border. LINK
Most of targets were intercepted by the Russian air defense forces and resulted in no damage on the ground; but at least two UAVs reached their targets.
- In the Nizhny Novgorod region, a Ukrainian UAV crashed on the territory of an oil refinery in Kostovo. A fire broke out at the facility.
- In Oryol, a fire broke out at the oil storage facility as a result of a drone strike on the local fuel and energy complex.
The drone strikes in the border regions continued during the day, after Ukrainian ground operation was repelled by Russian forces.
- According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, Ukrainian drone was shot down in the Belgorod region at about 9 a.m. local time.
- Four more UAVs were destroyed in the Kursk region at about midday.
After Kiev suffered heavy defeat in the battles on the Russian border, achieving no media results, Ukrainian forces launched new massive drone attack on civilians in the Belgorod region. Several small UAVs struck civilian facilities.
One of the drones fell on the roof of a shopping center near the local railway station. Two civilians were wounded as a result of the drone strike on the building of the Belgorod City Hall. One more UAV was filmed striking a small shop, while Russian servicemen attempted to shoot it down with small arms.
