Drones Ignite Fires at Russian Power Hubs as Explosions Rock Oryol and Vladimir

Explosions rocked two Russian regional capitals as drones struck energy facilities near the cities of Oryol and Vladimir, Russian outlet Astra reported on October 5.

Governor Aleksandr Avdeyev of Vladimir region said the attack targeted energy infrastructure in the city’s outskirts.

“Specialists are working at the site. With daylight, cleanup operations will begin. Please remain calm — all essential systems are functioning normally,” Avdeyev wrote on Telegram.

While he did not specify the exact facility hit, Astra noted that the strike appeared to target the Vladimirskaya 750-kV substation in the settlement of Energetik, one of the region’s largest energy hubs.

Videos published online showed fire and smoke rising from the site.

The substation, with an installed capacity of about 4,010 MVA, is a critical node in Russia’s high-voltage power grid, transmitting electricity from several major nuclear and thermal power plants—including the Smolensk, Kostroma, and Ryazan stations—toward Moscow and central Russia.

In the neighboring Oryol region, Governor Andrey Klychkov also confirmed a drone attack but claimed that local electronic warfare systems downed two UAVs.

“Seven private homes and windows in one apartment building were damaged. There were no casualties,” he said.

Residents of Oryol reported hearing loud explosions and seeing bright flashes in the sky around midnight.

Local Telegram channels circulated videos showing at least two blasts from different parts of the city. Despite the reports, Russian authorities did not issue an air-raid warning before the incidents.

Earlier, eight regions across Russia came under drone attack, with local reports indicating that three oil facilities were among the likely targets.

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