At least 13 people, including a child, were killed and dozens more injured in a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian city of Nizhnekamsk in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russian authorities said Monday.

The overnight attack, which continued into the morning, struck both industrial and residential areas, making it one of the deadliest Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian territory since the beginning of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Russian officials cited by different outlets gave varying figures for the number of wounded. Tatarstan authorities reported 75 people injured, while Reuters and CNN cited officials as putting the number at 39.

Nizhnekamsk is located more than 1,100 kilometers (680 miles) from Ukraine’s border, underscoring the increasing reach of Ukraine’s long-range drone campaign against targets deep inside Russia.

Ukraine’s Armed Forces said the TANECO oil refinery, one of Russia’s major oil-processing facilities, was hit in the attack. Ukrainian defense technology company FirePoint said its FP-1 drones were used.

Russia did not immediately confirm the precise target but acknowledged that industrial facilities as well as residential areas had been struck. Videos verified by Reuters showed smoke rising from the refinery area following the attack.

TANECO, operated by Russian oil company Tatneft, is a strategically important facility. The refinery processed around 17 million tonnes of crude oil in 2024, according to Reuters, making it an important part of Russia’s energy infrastructure.

The facility has been targeted previously. Ukrainian forces have increasingly focused their long-range drone campaign on Russian oil refineries and other energy infrastructure, arguing that such facilities contribute to Moscow’s ability to finance and sustain its military operations.

Russian investigators said civilians who were not involved in military operations were among those affected.

The Investigative Committee said industrial facilities and residential areas had been targeted and launched a criminal investigation into the attack.

Unverified footage circulating online showed large plumes of smoke and flames rising above the city, while air-raid sirens could be heard in the background.

Russian authorities declared a period of mourning in Tatarstan following the attack, according to reports.

The attack comes as Ukraine has intensified its use of long-range drones against Russian territory, particularly against oil refineries, fuel facilities and other infrastructure that Kyiv says supports Russia’s war effort.

Nizhnekamsk and other industrial centers in Tatarstan have previously been targeted because of their importance to Russia’s energy and petrochemical sectors. The TANECO refinery was also hit in earlier Ukrainian strikes this year.

The latest attack highlights Ukraine’s growing ability to conduct strikes hundreds of kilometers behind the front lines and deep inside Russian territory.

At the same time, Russia continues to launch large-scale missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure. Both Moscow and Kyiv accuse the other side of striking civilian areas, while each maintains that its attacks are directed at military or strategic targets.

The Nizhnekamsk strike is likely to further intensify debate over the escalating use of long-range drones and the widening geographic scope of the war, which has now extended far beyond the immediate front lines.

With both sides continuing to expand their air campaigns, the latest attack underscores the increasing vulnerability of critical infrastructure and civilian populations far from the battlefield. (ILKHA)