Ukraine has carried out its longest-range drone strikes in Russia more than two years into Moscow’s full-scale war, injuring at least a dozen people in an attack on an industrial facility and a refinery more than 1,300km behind enemy lines.
The US has repeatedly warned Kyiv against such attacks, fearful of their impact on global oil prices and the potential for retaliation. On Tuesday, ambassador Julianne Smith told reporters: “In terms of actually going after targets inside Russia, that is something the United States is not particularly supportive of. We are focused on Ukrainians’ right to defend its territory and to push Russians out of its territory, where the Ukrainians have had considerable success.”
The Ukrainian drones hit the Alabuga special economic zone in Tatarstan earlier in the day. The area is home to a facility that produces Iranian-designed Shahed drones which Russia uses for attacks against Ukraine. At least 12 people were injured in an on-site dormitory for students, according to state newswire Tass.