According to Russian reports, a fire broke out in a 500 kV substation in Ulyanovsk Oblast, Russia, after being attacked by a Ukrainian drone in the early morning of that day.

Live videos circulated on social media showed that the nightly attacks sparked fires illuminating the surrounding area, and the current progress in the handling of the fire has not been publicly disclosed.

The Vishchima transformation plant, which was attacked, belongs to a subsidiary of Russia's largest electricity transmission company, Rosseti. An important power hub in the region¡£

The power plant is located more than 900 kilometers east of the Russian border, far beyond the previously conventional range of strikes by Ukrainian drones.

The Russian governor of Volgograd informed via social media on October 16 local time that a similar power station in the state was attacked by Ukrainian drones that morning.

Although no people were injured, the drone's debris triggering equipment caused the fire, leading to power supply disruptions in neighboring residential areas, and the local emergency department has carried out fire extinguishment and electricity repair work simultaneously.

A war report released by the Russian Ministry of Defense on the same day showed that a total of 51 Ukraine drones were shot down in the mainland and border areas early in the morning that day, successfully thwarting its attempt to attack energy infrastructure.

Earlier at the end of September, the governor of Belgorod Oblast reported that a coal-fired power plant in the state was allegedly hit by Ukraine HIMARS rockets, causing damage to critical infrastructure and "severe power outages."

Third-party data shows that since the beginning of August 2025, Ukraine has launched drone attacks on 24 Russian refineries, resulting in a loss of nearly 40% of Russian refining capacity, a fuel shortage rate of nearly 20%, and an increase in gasoline and diesel prices compared with the beginning of the year. 50%.

Luck oil refinery in Volgograd and Antigovsky refinery in Okymin were all forced to stop repairs due to the attacks.

In response to the intense attacks on Ukraine, Russia has also recently strengthened its response to Ukrainian energy facilities.

On October 16, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that it had used high-precision weapons such as the Dagger hypersonic missile to launch intensive strikes on Ukraine's natural gas infrastructure and destroy a set of "Patriot" air defense system components.

Previously, the Russian military had dispatched 450 drones and 30 missiles to attack energy facilities across Ukraine, causing large-scale power outages in Kiev, Kharkiv and other places.

In fact, since the outbreak of full-scale conflict, Russia has launched large-scale air strikes on Ukraine's power grid every autumn and winter, trying to weaken Ukraine's resistance by destroying energy infrastructure.

The continued attacks on energy facilities have had an impact on Russia's domestic transportation and people's livelihood.

A representative of the Russian Federal Aviation Administration said that airports in 10 cities, including Kaluga, Samara and Ulyanovsk, have been temporarily restricted to take-off.

The analysis noted that Ukraine used drone strikes as a means of ¡°distance sanctions¡± to try to weaken its source of war funding by destroying Russia¡¯s energy core facilities.

Russia responded with mutual strikes, with both sides¡¯ attacks on energy infrastructure becoming a key dimension of confrontation outside the battlefield.

At present, the official of the state of Ulyanovsk has not disclosed the specific extent of the damage to the Vishekima transformation plant and the timetable for the restoration of power.

With the coming of the autumn and winter season, the Russian-Ukrainian offensive war around energy facilities may further escalate, which will not only affect both national livelihoods, but may also have chain effects on regional energy security.