In March 2026, Russian regions were hit by a series of large-scale drone and missile attacks. According to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, the previous weekend set a record for the number of Ukrainian drones targeting the capital over the entire course of the war. At the same time, strikes on other Russian cities also intensified.
Among the most significant attacks, the source cites the March 10 strike on the Kremniy El plant in Bryansk, which produces microelectronics for drones and missile systems, as well as attacks on oil depots in Krasnodar region. On the night of March 15, drones hit a facility near Tikhoretsk, and on the night of March 16, the main target was an oil depot in Labinsk, where an open fire broke out. In Belgorod and the surrounding district, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said missile strikes damaged energy infrastructure and caused disruptions to electricity, water, and heating.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said that from the evening of March 14 to the morning of March 15, air defenses shot down 170 Ukrainian drones over the country, including 20 heading toward Moscow. Russian media also reported that on March 14 more than 60 drones were downed on approach to the capital, prompting temporary restrictions at Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky airports.
“This is a record not only for the year, but for the entire period,” an anonymous Conflict Intelligence Team analyst said, referring to figures of about 250 drones destroyed over the weekend on the approaches to Moscow.
Experts interviewed by the outlet link the increase in strikes primarily to the growth of Ukraine’s production of long-range drones. In their view, such attacks simultaneously strain Russian air defenses, gather intelligence, disrupt airport operations, and inflict economic damage. Military expert Roman Svitan and commentator Oleksandr Kovalenko say that in the near term, likely priority targets include oil infrastructure, defense industry enterprises, and facilities tied to missile and drone production.
At the same time, the CIT analyst argues that the overall intensity of strikes will depend on the capacity of Ukraine’s defense industry and the scale of support from partners. In his view, recent months suggest less a qualitative leap than a redistribution of targets, from oil refining toward military industry. Oleksandr Kovalenko believes that strikes on Russian territory will become even more intense in 2026, while the list of targets will expand.