The Russian city of Orel came under attack early Thursday, November 12, in what officials described as a drone raid by the Ukrainian military.
The strike targeted the region’s energy infrastructure as Zelenskyy continues with his recent trend of conducting long-range operations deep inside Russian territory.
Russia Confirms Attack
Governor of Oryol Oblast Andrey Klychkov confirmed that four Ukrainian drones were intercepted and destroyed by air defence systems over the Orel region.
Viral videos seen by The Kenya Times showed falling debris from a large explosion, followed by huge flames of fire and massive clouds of smoke.
Klychkov reported that the falling debris damaged the roofs of four private homes in the area, but luckily, no casualties were reported.
Emergency crews and law enforcement were immediately contacted, and they worked through the night to clear the wreckage and to assess the extent of the damage.
A resident who witnessed the scene reported hearing multiple explosions and flashes in the sky around 6:20 a.m. local time, prompting air raid sirens in several neighbourhoods.
Videos circulating on Russian social media showed shattered windows and damaged cars in parking lots.
The residents also reported that authorities had issued a missile alert earlier in the night, urging them to take shelter and stay away from windows.
Ukraine’s Strategic Hit
Orel is located roughly 160 kilometers from Ukraine’s border and has become a frequent target in Ukraine’s campaign to disrupt Russia’s energy network.
Orel hosts a major combined heat and power plant (CHPP) that supplies electricity and heating to thousands of residents.
Oreltekhmash, located less than a kilometer away from Orel, is a defense enterprise that produces maintenance and evacuation equipment for Russian forces. This makes Orel a high-value target for Ukraine, according to past remarks by Ukrainian military officials.
While the recent strike caused minimal physical damage, the attack has once again shown Ukraine’s ability to hit infrastructure deep inside Russian territory.
Previous attacks on Orel have temporarily cut power and heating, forcing authorities to switch to backup systems.
The CHPP is critical, as it provides up to 65% of the city’s heat and 40% of its electricity. Its proximity to a military industry also increases its strategic importance.
Russia’s Response
Hours after the overnight strike on Orel, Russia launched one of its largest retaliatory attacks in weeks.
According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russian forces deployed 121 strike drones from multiple directions, including Millerovo, Oryol, and Primorsko-Akhtarsk in Russia, as well as occupied Crimea.
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Around 70 of these were Shahed-type drones, supplemented by Geran and other models.
Ukrainian air defenses intercepted or suppressed 90 drones, but 31 hit targets in 19 locations, causing fires and damage to structures in the surrounding areas.
The Russian Defense Ministry described the operation as a massive strike using high-precision long-range weapons, including air-launched and ground-based systems.
Targets reportedly included energy facilities, weapons production plants, and military repair bases.
Moscow framed the strikes as retaliation for terrorist attacks on Russian soil, including the Orel incident.
Casualties were reported in Dnipro, where a Russian drone slammed into a residential tower block, killing three people and injuring 12, including two children.
Fires broke out in several regions, and emergency shutdowns left thousands without power.
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Ukrainian officials have said the barrage targeted substations supplying two nuclear power plants, marking one of the most aggressive energy strikes since the war began.
The attacks have signalled an escalating energy war, with both nations looking to cripple power grids ahead of winter.
Russia is looking to use the winter weather to its advantage by denying heat and electricity to Ukrainian civilians, while Ukraine continues to hit Russian energy hubs to disrupt military logistics.
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