Ukraine’s drone regiment takes out Russian fuel tanker, logistics hub deep in occupied Donetsk, Melitopol, Crimea

Operators of the 413th Unmanned Systems Regiment "Raid" carried out a coordinated strike on Russian rear positions in occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast using domestically produced strike UAVs, according to footage published on the regiment's channel on 13 April.

The targets included a Russian materiel and technical supply warehouse, a logistics hub, and a fuel tanker. "This will significantly complicate the supply of Russian troops and affect their ability to conduct combat operations on the southern sectors of the front," the regiment stated.

ArmiyaInform previously reported that operators of the same regiment struck a Russian Tor-M2 air defense system in Donetsk Oblast.

Ukraine's drone campaign has repeatedly struck Russian military assets and logistics infrastructure in Russian-occupied territories since the start of the full-scale invasion. Attacks on fuel storage facilities on the peninsula have reduced available reserves, putting pressure on Russian military logistics along the southern front. Each air defense system knocked out across the occupied territories leaves remaining military infrastructure more exposed to subsequent strikes.

Melitopol: Substation hit, partial blackout

In the early hours of 14 April, a series of explosions struck occupied Melitopol, followed by a fire at an electrical substation and a partial blackout, RBK-Ukraine reported, citing OSINT channels. Video circulating online showed heavy smoke and flames at the site.

The occupation administration's appointed "governor" of the occupied part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Yevhen Balitsky, confirmed the attack on an energy infrastructure facility in the south of the region. According to him, part of the equipment sustained damage, causing power outages in the city. Casualty figures and the full extent of destruction were still being established at time of reporting, according to Censor.NET, which cited local and Russian Telegram channels.

Melitopol has been under Russian occupation since early March 2022 and functions as a key logistics and transport hub in southern Ukraine. Strikes on military targets, ammunition depots, and infrastructure there have been recorded regularly. In late December 2025, Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) released footage of an explosion near a military "Ural" vehicle in the city that killed at least four Russian servicemen, according to ArmiyaInform. In March 2026, a Russian court sentenced three teenagers from Melitopol to between seven and 8.5 years on what human rights advocates described as fabricated "terrorism" charges, calling the prosecutions a war crime.

Crimea: Explosions in Simferopol, Feodosia, and Kerch

A series of explosions was reported across occupied Crimea during the night of 14 April amid what appeared to be a large-scale drone attack, local Telegram channels reported.

Blasts were recorded in Simferopol, Feodosia, and Kerch over the course of several hours. In Simferopol, Russian forces opened machine-gun fire on drones, with shooting reported across multiple city districts and in surrounding settlements. Particularly intense activity was recorded near the Tavriiska thermal power plant, where at least two powerful explosions were heard, and near the Hvardiiske airfield, where infrastructure may have been struck.

Eyewitnesses reported Pantsir air defense systems in operation, as well as explosions over the sea along the peninsula's southern coast. Preliminary reports indicated that possible targets included energy and military infrastructure, including an oil depot near Hvardiiske, according to Censor.NET. No immediate official Ukrainian confirmation of the Crimea strikes was available.