attacks in Russia during the Russo-Ukrainian war

There have been attacks in mainland Russia as a result of the Russo-Ukrainian war since its invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. The main targets have been the military, the arms industry and the oil industry. Many of the attacks have been drone strikes, firebombing, and rail sabotage. The Ukrainian intelligence services have acknowledged carrying out some of these attacks. Others have been carried out by anti-war activists in Russia. There have also been cross-border shelling, missile strikes, and covert raids from Ukraine, mainly in Belgorod, Kursk, and Bryansk oblasts. Several times, Ukrainian-based paramilitaries launched incursions into Russia, captured border villages and battled the Russian military. These were carried out by units made up mainly of Russian emigrants. While Ukraine supported these ground incursions, it denied direct involvement.

In August 2024, the Ukrainian military launched an offensive into Kursk Oblast and captured numerous settlements. It was the biggest attack into Russia since the war began and the first carried out primarily by Ukrainian regular forces.

In response to the war, there have also been attacks on Russian forces in Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.

Shelling, drone strikes and sabotage

February–March 2022

On 25 February 2022, the Millerovo air base was attacked, allegedly with Tochka-U missiles. One Su-30SM fighter was destroyed on the ground.

On 1 March, there was an explosion on a military air base in Taganrog in Rostov Oblast. There were claims that it was due to Ukrainian action.

On 23 and 24 March, Governor of Belgorod Oblast Vyacheslav Gladkov reported that Zhuravlyovka and Nekhoteyevka came under shelling from the Ukrainian side. The next day, the Moscow Patriarchate claimed that chaplain Oleg Artyomov died in Zhuravlyovka as a result of a BM-30 Smerch strike by Ukraine.

On 29 March, local officials reported a series of explosions outside the city of Belgorod, close to the border with Ukraine. It was later reported that those explosions may have been caused by a fire.

=== April 2022 === On 1 April 2022, according to regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov and an unnamed US official, two Ukrainian Mi-24 helicopters attacked and set fire to a fuel depot in Belgorod in a low-altitude airstrike with no reported casualties. Ukraine denied and dismissed the event as Russian propaganda. Ukrainian security official Oleksiy Danilov denied Ukraine was behind the helicopter attack, with a joke in which he blamed the "People's Republic of Belgorod" instead. On the same day, a rocket exploded in a different part of the oblast, but its apparent trajectory and model led open-source researchers to suspect it was a failed Russian missile.

On 11 April, Belgorod, Bryansk, Kursk, and Voronezh Oblasts all raised their terror alert system to "yellow", the second tier in a three-class system. The Republic of Crimea and Krasnodar Krai raised their alert levels in certain districts. Authorities in Belgorod ordered a two-week ban on fireworks and firecrackers.

On 14 April 2022, the FSB border service reported that on 13 April, a border checkpoint near Novye Yurkovichi, Bryansk Oblast came under mortar fire from Ukraine while a group of around 30 Ukrainian refugees headed for Russia was present there. According to the official claims, two automobiles were damaged but no injuries were documented.

On the same day, regional and municipal authorities stated that Ukraine had shelled the village of Spodaryushino (near Mokraya Orlovka) in Belgorod Oblast, causing several explosions. While no injuries occurred, the village's population was temporarily evacuated, out of concerns about a possible escalation. A neighboring settlement also had its population relocated. Governor of Belgorod Oblast Vyacheslav Gladkov said that the attack "had come from the Ukrainian side." In a separate alleged attack a resident of Zhuravlyovka was injured, according to Gladkov.

Also on 14 April, the Investigative Committee of Russia said Ukrainian attack helicopters had launched six missile strikes on residential areas in the town of Klimovo, Bryansk Oblast, damaging six buildings. Officials at the Russian Health Ministry said that seven people had been injured, two of which had been hurt seriously. According to personnel at the city's hospital, among those injured were a pregnant woman and a two-year-old child. According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, an unverified video of a house in Bryansk burning went viral on the internet. The next day, Russian security services claimed they had shot down a Mil Mi-8 helicopter during the incident.

On 15 April, Russia launched major missile strikes on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in retaliation for alleged cross-border attacks. The Russian strikes were the largest of their kind to take place since Russia aborted its 2022 Kyiv offensive.

Ukraine rejected claims that it was responsible for the 14 April 2022 attacks, instead asserting that Russian intelligence services were trying to "carry out terrorist acts to whip up anti-Ukrainian hysteria" in the country. After the attack, the Security Service of Ukraine released what it claimed were intercepted conversations between Russian soldiers showing that Russia deliberately fired on the villages in order to blame Ukraine. One of the alleged soldiers refers to the 1999 Russian apartment bombings where he says that the "same shit happened in the Chechen war. Apartments were blown up in Moscow, like they were terrorists. In fact, they are FSB officers". Ukrainian interior ministry advisor Anton Gerashchenko said that something "fell and caught fire" at a Russian military facility, without explicitly confirming or denying Ukrainian responsibility.

On 19 April, Belgorod's governor accused Ukrainian forces of striking the village of Golovchino, damaging more than 30 houses and lightly wounding 3 residents. On 25 April, according to the Belgorod governor, at least two residents, a man and a woman, were injured in Zhuravlyovka as a result of shelling.

On the same day, another attack happened in Bryansk: in the morning, two large explosions and fires occurred at two oil facilities, a civilian one and a military one. Videos and images posted on social media showed large columns of black smoke several hours after the initial explosions. An analyst told The Guardian that the fires were likely an act of sabotage by Ukraine, although responsibility remained uncertain. Unconfirmed reports in the Russian media suggested the fires could have been caused by a drone attack; on the same day, two Bayraktar TB2 drones were reportedly shot down in Bryansk Oblast.

On 29–30 April, a border checkpoint near Krupets in Rylsky District of Kursk Oblast was repeatedly shelled, according to the governor. The Bryansk governor said that his region was shelled as well.

=== May 2022 === On 11 May, the Belgorod governor claimed that Solokhi was shelled from Ukraine. According to him, one person was killed and seven were injured as a result of the incident. Videos online also showed damage to stores and private houses, local officials reportedly began evacuating the village after the attack. The deceased was identified as Ruslan Nefyodov, aged 18.

On 15 May, Gladkov said that one person was injured with a shrapnel wound in Sereda after a Ukrainian strike, as 10 shells were reportedly shot down by Russian air defense systems. Another 10 shells fell close to Novostroyevka-Vtoraya, while another round of eight artillery shells reportedly damaged a power line and a number of farming structures in Zhuravlyovka.

On 17 May, Gladkov claimed that one more person was slightly injured in Bezymeno as it was shelled from the territory of Ukraine. Kursk governor said that the border checkpoint at Tyotkino had been shelled once again on the same day, no victims were reported. On 18 May, Gladkov declared that Solokhi was shelled again, and one person was reportedly injured. Kursk governor Starovoyt reported that Alekseevka, Glushkovsky District, was shelled. On 19 May, Starovoyt claimed that a distillery in Tyotkino was shelled, a truck driver died, and at least one civilian was wounded. On the same day, Alekseevka and Dronovka were reportedly shelled.

On 25 May, Gladkov claimed that one person was wounded in Zhuravlyovka as it was shelled "from the territory of Ukraine". Zhuravlyovka and Nekhoteyevka were subject to continuous shelling on 26 May. A woman died from her wounds in the hospital the next day. On 26 May, Starovoyt said that Vorozhba, Sudzhansky District came under shelling "from the Ukrainian side", and a local school teacher was wounded by broken glass.

=== June–July 2022 === On 6 June, a bridge at Tyotkino was shelled, damaging it. Near the bridge, a block of apartments was badly damaged, a car was burnt out and the local sugar refinery suffered some damage.

Klintsy and its surrounding regions in Bryansk Oblast were shelled for three days straight beginning on 12 June. The first two days of attacks were more minor incidents targeting military bases, with little to no casualties. On 14 June a helicopter fired missiles at residential areas in the city, damaging dozens of houses and ripping a woman's leg off. Authorities recorded six injuries on 14 June. As a result of the attacks, Klintsy and the surrounding region was left without water and electricity.

On 22 June, the Novoshakhtinsk oil refinery in Rostov Oblast was reportedly hit by a suicide drone, no casualties were reported.

The Combat Organization of Anarcho-Communists sabotaged a railway line near Moscow on 25 June, to hinder the supply of equipment to a military base. They issued a statement online saying: "Every stopped train means less shells and rockets to fly into peaceful Ukrainian cities ... We call on everyone to join the rail war!".

On 3 July, officials said that a group of explosions targeting civilian areas in Belgorod had killed at least five people and injured four, several buildings and private houses were damaged or destroyed, anti-aircraft defense systems reportedly activated, but one projectile hit an apartment building. Russia blamed Ukraine for the attack and Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said that Russia had shot down three Ukrainian Tochka U ballistic missiles armed with cluster warheads. Ukraine denied it was responsible.

=== September–October 2022 === A civilian was killed and two hospitalized after shelling hit the town of Valuyki in Belgorod Oblast on 15 September, according to regional authorities. Earlier, Russian authorities had reported that a border checkpoint on Nekhoteevka was attacked and that the customs terminal had caught on fire.

On 11 October, an explosion was reported at an electric substation in Shebekino; some residents were left without energy. On 15 October, new explosions were reported in Belgorod; an oil depot reportedly caught on fire. On 16 October, explosions were reported at an airport in Belgorod; videos online show anti-aircraft systems firing and smoke rising on the airport after an apparent missile strike, with two people reportedly being wounded.

=== November 2022 === On 1 November, the settlement of Krasnooktyabrsky in Glushkovsky District was reportedly shelled by Ukrainian forces; no injuries were reported, a five-story building was damaged and several windows were blown. Another attack was reported in Kozynka; one person was reportedly wounded in the shelling. On 2 November 5 civilians, including 3 children, were reportedly injured after shells hit the village of Guyevo, Sudzhansky District. Several private houses and stores were damaged in the attack; the village was left without electricity as power lines were either destroyed or damaged following the explosions.

On 14 November, Russian media reported several blasts in the Belgorod region. On 15 November 2 civilians were killed and 3 injured by shelling in Shebekino, Belgorod Oblast; the shells reportedly hit apartment buildings and a nearby pharmacy. The governor of Belgorod said that an 80-year-old woman died of her wounds in the hospital and that a man was killed and another was injured by parts of a missile that was shot down by air defense. On 16 November, in the village of Stalnoy Kon, Oryol Oblast, an unmanned aerial vehicle reportedly attacked an oil depot; no casualties were reported.

December 2022

On 5 December, two air bases reported explosions, allegedly caused by Ukrainian drone attacks. At Engels-2 air base in Saratov Oblast, 2 Tu-95s were reportedly damaged. At Dyagilevo air base in Ryazan Oblast, an oil truck exploded, killing three soldiers and injuring four. On 6 December, Governor of Kursk Oblast Roman Starovoyt announced that an oil reservoir near Kursk-Khalino air base caught on fire as a result of a drone attack; no casualties were reported and the fire was quickly put out. Following the alleged Ukrainian drone strikes, Russian forces launched a new wave of attacks against Ukrainian cities. A missile reportedly fell on Moldova as a result of the Russian attack.

On 17 December, explosions were reported in Belgorod, a local resident's car was reportedly damaged by a fragment of ammunition debris. On 18 December, explosions were reported again in Belgorod, officials claimed that they were the result of anti-aircraft fire; several cars and houses were damaged by debris, 4 people were wounded in the city itself, and 1 person was killed in the suburbs, local Telegram channels also posted images showing thick black smoke rising over the city.

More explosions were reported elsewhere in Belgorod Oblast, a poultry farm was reportedly hit. Two people, including an employee of the farm, died as a result of the explosions, three other employees were also wounded during the alleged attack; local Telegram channels showed videos allegedly showing the aftermath of the attack. On 25 December, three soldiers were killed in another attack on Engels air base.

=== January–March 2023 === On 4 January 2023, the Combat Organization of Anarcho-Communists claimed responsibility for an explosion that damaged the Trans-Siberian Railway in Krasnoyarsk. The rail line was used by the Russian Army to transport supplies to occupied Ukraine.

On 11 February, the Governor of the Belgorod Oblast reported that Ukrainian Grad missiles had hit the city of Shebekino, and that as a result of the attack, three men had been wounded, one building of an industrial enterprise had been destroyed and a bus stop, as well as three private cars, had been damaged. Another attack with Grad rockets was reported later, with local authorities claiming that the missiles had hit two private houses, one of which caught on fire as result of the strike.

On 22 February, regional authorities reported that two people had been injured by shelling in Shebekino, and that three houses were damaged from shelling in Pervoye Tseplyayevo. On 28 February, a Rosneft oil depot in Tuapse, Krasnodar Krai, caught on fire after an alleged drone attack. Locals reported several explosions in the depot, which local officials blamed on two drones that allegedly crashed into the terminal and exploded. The boiler room was reportedly damaged, although the local government denied any damage to the facility's oil tanks; there were no victims, and the fire was quickly extinguished. On the same day, an FSB border service observation tower was damaged by an UAV, allegedly from Ukraine.

On 4 March, a drone carrying an improvised explosive device attacked a substation of the Transneft-Druzhba oil pipeline in Belgorod Oblast. Four people were evacuated, but no injuries were reported. On 6 March, more attacks were reported in Kursk and Belgorod Oblasts. Starovoyt claimed the village of Iskra suffered power outages after energy facilities reported damages during the attack. According to Belgorod Oblast Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov, in the town of Novy Oskol, although three missiles were shot down, one civilian was injured and several buildings in the town were damaged, in addition to power outages.