Largest Drone Raid of the Year Targets Moscow, Oil Depot Burns in Krasnodar
A massive overnight drone attack targeted the Russian capital. Also, a key oil depot in Krasnodar Krai, sparking a large fire at a fuel hub supplying Russian forces on the southern front.
Kyiv Post
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Russia’s Krasnodar Krai territory came under a massive drone strike early Monday morning, March 16, according to the region’s operational headquarters.
Initial reports of explosions near a local oil depot appeared on Telegram channels around 2 a.m. Residents of Labinsk shared videos on social media showing the moment of impact and the massive fire that followed in the city’s industrial zone.
The Krasnodar Krai territory is considered a strategic logistics hub for the Russian army. Oil depots in the region serve as “gas stations” for Russian troops fighting in southern Ukraine.
Disabling such facilities can significantly complicate the refueling of military vehicles and aircraft, potentially creating a “fuel famine” directly on the front line.
The regional operations headquarters later confirmed the incident but said the blaze was caused by “falling debris from a downed UAV.”
“In the industrial zone of Labinsk, a fire broke out on the territory of an oil depot as a result of a UAV attack. According to preliminary information, there are no casualties,” the statement said.
Four crews, personnel from fire and rescue units, and specialists from the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia for Krasnodar Krai were involved in extinguishing the fire, it added.
Open flames were observed at the oil depot, and a large column of black smoke was visible several kilometers from the scene.
Despite Washington’s push to assemble an international naval force to secure the passage by accompanying ships, key US allies appear reluctant to take part.
The Ukrainian side has not commented on its possible involvement in the attack.
Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that air defenses destroyed 145 Ukrainian drones overnight. The largest number – 53 – were reportedly intercepted over Moscow Oblast, including 46 drones heading toward the capital.
Another 38 drones were shot down over the Bryansk Region, while only one drone was reportedly destroyed over Krasnodar Krai.
According to Russian media, Ukrainian forces launched a large-scale drone attack on Moscow over the weekend of March 14-15.
Between approximately 12:30 p.m. Saturday and 11:30 a.m. Sunday, 95 drones were shot down while approaching the Russian capital, according to Mayor Sergei Sobyanin.
The attacks disrupted air travel. Rosaviatsiya imposed restrictions on arrivals and departures at Domodedovo Airport, Vnukovo Airport, Sheremetyevo International Airport, and Zhukovsky International Airport.
A total of 37 flights were delayed – 17 at Vnukovo, 13 at Domodedovo, and 7 at Sheremetyevo.
According to The Moscow Times news outlet, the drone raid was the largest attack on Moscow since the beginning of the year. However, neither the mayor nor the Defense Ministry reported damage from the latest strike.
Telegram channels Mash and Shot reported drone sightings in Moscow’s Troitsky District near the Central Ring Road and in several towns across the Moscow Region, including Istra, Korolev, Dubna, Ramenskoye, and Volokolamsk.
On Sunday morning, March 15, the Russian Defense Ministry said that 170 drones had been launched across Russia, affecting 13 regions.
In Krasnodar Territory, a separate fire broke out at an oil depot near Tikhoretsk, reportedly caused by falling drone debris, according to the operational headquarters. Drone fragments also damaged two high-voltage power lines.
Meanwhile, Vyacheslav Gladkov said Ukraine launched missile strikes on the Belgorod Region. According to him, energy infrastructure facilities sustained “serious damage,” causing outages of electricity, water, and heating in parts of the region.
Local Telegram channels reported that the Luch Thermal Power Plant and several other energy facilities were hit.
Julia Struck is a Deputy Head of News and correspondent for Kyiv Post who has previously worked as a parliamentary editor, journalist, and news editor. She has specialized in covering the work of the Ukrainian parliament, government, and law enforcement agencies.
