Ukraine carried out “massive” drone strikes in several Russian regions overnight, local officials said on Tuesday, in what appears to be one of the latest attacks in Kyiv’s campaign to cripple Russia’s military presence on its territory.
The attack, mainly in southwestern Russia, was the latest in a series that showed Ukraine’s ability to attack inside the country, as Kyiv’s military faces challenges on its territory.
Explosions were reported in the border region of Bryansk, and drones also targeted regions beyond Saratov and Tula in western Russia, officials in those areas said.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that Ukraine had launched more than 140 drones, as well as US-made ATACMS and British-supplied Storm Shadow missiles.
“These actions of the Kyiv regime, supported by Western leaders, cannot go unanswered,” the ministry said in a statement.
The Ukrainian military did not immediately comment on the strikes. But Ukraine’s Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security, a government agency, said seven Russian regions were attacked and targets included military production facilities and oil and gas facilities.
The threat forced at least six cities to restrict their airspace Tuesday morning, according to a statement from Russia’s Federal Aviation Agency. Those include the cities of Saratov and Engels, which were attacked overnight.
Two industrial plants sustained damage, Roman V. Busargin, governor of Saratov region, wrote in Telegram. “Today Saratov and Engels were heavily attacked by UAVs,” he said, using another word for drones. “Air defenses have cleared a number of targets.”
It was the second time in less than a week that Engels, home to an airfield for some of Russia’s long-range, nuclear-capable bombers, has been attacked. Emergency crews recently put out a large fire caused by the Jan. 8 strike.
Mr. Busargin said schools will be closed and classes in Engels and Saratov will be conducted remotely on Tuesday.
Authorities in the Tula region of western Russia similarly confirmed the drone attack, which they described as “large-scale”. Dmitry V. Milyaev, the governor of the region, said that the air defense had shot down 16 drones and that falling debris had damaged cars and buildings. No one was injured.
And local media in Kazan, the capital of the republic of Tatarstan in southwestern Russia, reported that a ship had crashed into a liquefied natural gas facility, sparking a massive fire.
The head of the republic, Rustam N. Minnikhanov, wrote on Telegram that firefighters extinguished the fire and there were no casualties or “major damage.”
In the border region of Bryansk, which is regularly attacked, a powerful explosion was reported. Independent Russian news agency Astra said a chemical plant had been hit; the report could not be independently verified.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said it shot down 31 drones, six ATACMS and six Storm Shadow missiles that were targeting Bryansk.
From the beginning, Kyiv’s strikes inside Russia were aimed at preventing Moscow’s ability to attack Ukrainian cities. But in recent weeks they have taken on more weight in an effort to project power ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Donald J. Trump next week, amid concerns that he may resent US support for Ukraine.
Mr. Trump vowed to end the war immediately. Although he did not say how, many in Ukraine fear he may strike a deal with Russian President Vladimir V. Putin who has been a red line in Kyiv.
Before the inauguration of Mr. Trump on Monday, the Russian military has also been showing strength. While drones in Kyiv targeted Russian territory overnight, Moscow’s military was conducting an offensive against Ukraine that has put much of the country under air strike warnings.
The Air Force of Ukraine said that on Tuesday morning there were about 80 planes that were flying but they managed to shoot down 60. Apartment buildings and cars were damaged by drones in many places, he added, but there were no casualties.
Natalia Novosolova again Natalia Vasilyeva reporting contributed.