Ukraine Drone Strike Sparks Massive Fire at Moscow Power Plant

A major power station in Russia’s Moscow region caught fire on Sunday after being struck by Ukrainian drones, marking one of Kyiv’s most significant attacks deep inside Russian territory.

The incident happened at the Shatura Power Station, located about 120 km east of Moscow. The strike triggered a large fire, caused heating disruptions for thousands of people, and sent smoke rising into the night sky.

What Happened?

According to local authorities, several Ukrainian drones targeted the facility early Sunday morning. Some drones were shot down by air-defence systems, but a few managed to hit the site directly. This led to explosions and a fire breaking out around key equipment at the station.

Videos shared online showed bright fireballs and heavy black smoke coming from the power station as loud blasts echoed in the background.

Impact on the Region

The town of Shatura, home to around 33,000 residents, experienced heating outages as temperatures hovered near freezing. Officials said backup power systems were activated, and mobile heating units were being brought in to help affected residents.

Local reports indicated that three transformers caught fire, damaging a significant part of the facility.

Broader Context

This strike comes during the fourth year of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Russia has intensified attacks on Ukraine’s electricity and heating infrastructure, causing frequent blackouts and energy shortages across Ukrainian cities.

Ukraine, in response, has been focusing on hitting Russian oil facilities to reduce Moscow’s revenue from energy exports. While Ukraine has targeted some power facilities near the border, this is one of the first major attacks on a power station serving the wider Moscow region, home to more than 22 million people.

Russia’s Response

Russia’s defence ministry said it intercepted 75 Ukrainian drones on Sunday, including several near Moscow and dozens over the Black Sea. Flight operations at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport were briefly suspended for safety reasons.

Ukraine did not issue an immediate statement about the attack.

About Shatura Power Station

The Shatura plant is one of Russia’s oldest power stations. It was built shortly after the Russian revolution and originally operated using peat before switching to other fuel sources in later decades.