Russia’s Saratov refinery among key targets hit by drones last night, Ukrainian Army’s General Staff says (VIDEO, MAP)

Ukrainian forces launched a coordinated series of drone strikes in the early hours of 28 November, hitting multiple targets in Russia and occupied territories, according to Ukraine’s General Staff. The confirmed strikes included a fuel refinery in Saratov Oblast, a UAV depot at the Saky airfield in occupied Crimea, and military infrastructure across Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.

Explosions and fire reported in Saratov

Around 1 a.m., Ukrainian Telegram channels including Exilenova+ began sharing footage from Saratov, where local residents recorded the sounds of drone engines, air defense fire, and distant explosions. Saratov is located in Russia's Volga region, more than 600 km from the war zone in Ukraine.

Russian news Telegram channel Astra claimed to have geolocated videos and a photo of the incident. The first video captured air defense activity over the Volga river, dividing Satarov and Engels—a home to a strategic bomber base. Other photos and videos reportedly showed smoke and fires inside the city. Astra reported that no information on casualties was available.

Russia's Defense Ministry stated its air defenses intercepted 136 Ukrainian drones overnight. The ministry said 30 of them were downed over Saratov Oblast, 46 over Rostov Oblast, 29 over occupied Crimea, 12 over the Black Sea, and the rest over other Russian regions including Bryansk, Volgograd, Voronezh, Kaluga, and Moscow.

Ukraine’s General Staff later confirmed that the Saratov oil refinery was among the struck targets. The refinery, located in Saratov Oblast, produces over 20 types of petroleum products including gasoline, diesel, fuel oil, and technical sulphur, and is used to supply Russia’s occupation forces. Ukrainian forces said explosions were recorded at the site and fire followed in the target area. The military noted that the results of the strike were still being clarified.

Euromaidan Press could not independently verify any reports on damage to the Saratov refinery. 

Ukraine says it struck Saky airfield and targets in occupied eastern areas

Ukraine’s military also reported a successful strike on a UAV storage site at the Saky airfield in Novofedorivka, on the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea. According to preliminary information, several Russian air defense assets were damaged, including Pantsir-S1 and Tor-M2 systems. The Defense Forces stated that after suppressing enemy air defenses, Ukrainian drones destroyed a hangar that housed Orion and Forpost UAVs. In the same attack, a command and control post and a military cargo truck (KamAZ) were also hit. The full extent of the damage remains under assessment.

In addition, Ukrainian forces targeted concentrations of Russian troops and fuel and lubricant depots in the temporarily occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. The General Staff said the results of those strikes were being clarified. 

SBS commander reveals further details on infrastructure targets

Commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces (SBS), Robert “Madyar” Brovdi, reported additional details not included in the General Staff statement. He said SBS drones struck ten targets overnight, spanning both military and critical energy infrastructure. Among those, high-voltage substations were disrupted between Luhansk and Rostov Oblast.

Brovdi wrote that the Saratov oil refinery had “sprung a leak in the swamps,” referring to Russia, and claimed the operation caused disruptions in oil and gas supplies. He described the strike as a “courtesy visit” conducted by SBS’s 1st Separate Center (formerly the 14th SBS Regiment) and the Graf unit. Brovdi also warned that future strikes would be “more intense and louder,” adding that SBS operations are ongoing.