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Drone Strike Disrupts Russian Power Grid, Hits Key Volga Substation
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
A series of drone strikes overnight on October 18 caused significant disruptions in Russia’s Ulyanovsk region, igniting a fire at the 500-kilovolt “Veshkaima” electrical substation—one of the main energy nodes in the Volga power grid.
According to local media, at least four drones hit transmission lines around the facility, leading to widespread power outages in several nearby towns. As of early morning, emergency services were still working to extinguish the fire.
The substation, operated by the Russian company Rosseti, serves as a key transit hub connecting the Ulyanovsk, Mordovia, Chuvashia, and Samara power systems.
It also channels electricity from the Syzran and Zhiguli hydroelectric plants to central Russia. The town of Veshkaima lies about 710 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
Andrii Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation under Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, said Russia had “lost the Veshkaima substation (500 kV) in the Ulyanovsk region—one of the key elements of its energy system.” He noted that the strike was “what happens when you attack Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.”
Russia’s regional management center in Ulyanovsk confirmed the incident, stating that “four drones caused two explosions.” Officials later claimed the fire had been localized and that power supply was “restored to normal.”
Earlier, on September 28, strikes on energy infrastructure caused a major blackout in Russia’s Belgorod region, including Stary Oskol and Shebekino. According to Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, the attack led to power outages and injured two people. Local reports pointed to explosions at the Belgorod thermal power plant and the “Luch” substation.
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