Russian officials say falling debris from destroyed Ukrainian drones knocked out the railway power supply in part of Volgograd region, according to a report published by Reuters on Saturday. Regional Governor Andrei Bocharov confirmed that there were no injuries in the incident, The Kyiv Independent reported.
Russia’s civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, said flights were suspended at Volgograd airport after midnight amid air raid alerts in several western and southern regions.
No storm of missiles, but growing uncertainty
Officials haven’t released full details on the scale of the attack or damage. Messaging on Telegram showed that air raid warnings went up in multiple regions, though the key impact in Volgograd was reportedly limited to the railway power disruption.
Drones targetting railway power across Russia
Ukrainian forces have increasingly been targetting Russia’s railway infrastructure, including the traction substations and transformers that power electric rail systems. Experts say disabling these can significantly stall rail traffic, including military logistics, for longer periods than damage to railway tracks alone.
In May 2024, similar strikes in Kursk and Oryol damaged substations, delaying trains and forcing Russia to use diesel engines instead of electrically powered ones.
Partisan sabotage claims underscore vulnerability
On July 10, the Ukrainian-aligned Atesh partisan group claimed responsibility for sabotaging a relay panel at Volgograd’s Maxim Gorky locomotive depot — a key hub connecting Russia’s Southern frontlines. The group said the relay failure caused major disruptions to fuel and military equipment shipments, as reported by The Kyiv Independent.
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