Russia attacked by drones: explosions in Yeysk and fires in Astrakhan Oblast

Overnight on March 16, drones struck multiple Russian regions, with Yeysk in Krasnodar Krai and Astrakhan Oblast among the hardest hit, according to Russian propaganda outlets and regional authorities.

Propagandists, citing residents, reported around 10 explosions over Yeysk and the Azov Sea late on March 16, with drones apparently targeting a military airfield.

Car alarms blared in several districts as air defenses engaged, though Krasnodar Krai Governor Veniamin Kondratyev stayed silent on the attack, instead posting a morning greeting to local utility workers.

In Astrakhan Oblast, Governor Igor Babushkin confirmed a "massive drone attack attempt" on regional facilities, including energy infrastructure, overnight.

Workers were evacuated preemptively, but a fire erupted — blamed by Babushkin on "debris" in typical Russian official fashion — hospitalizing one person.

Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed six Ukrainian drones were downed from 8:25 to 10:30 PM local time on Sunday across Volgograd, Rostov, and Tula oblasts, conspicuously omitting Krasnodar Krai and Astrakhan Oblast from its tally, suggesting gaps in its reporting or defenses.

Overnight on March 12, Ukrainian intelligence drones hit a camouflaged drone factory in Kaluga Oblast; overnight on March 13, Tuapse’s oil refinery in Krasnodar Krai burned in its fifth attack; and overnight on March 14, Volgograd Oblast’s refinery likely took hits.