Feb 3 (Reuters) - Ukraine's overnight drone attack

targeted fuel and energy facilities in Russia, sparking a fire

in the Astrakhan region and forcing the suspension of flights at

several airports, Russian officials and media said on Monday.

"Ukrainian armed forces attempted a drone attack on

objects located in the region, including fuel and energy

facilities," Igor Babushkin, governor of the Astrakhan region in

southern Russia, said on the Telegram messaging app.

"Falling drone sparked a fire. There were no casualties."

Babushkin did not say what was on fire. Baza, a Russian news

Telegram channel that is close to Russia's security services,

said that Ukraine attacked a gas processing plant near

Astrakhan.

Russia's aviation watchdog Rosaviatsia said that it was

suspending flights from the airports of Astrakhan as well as

from four others, in Kazan, Nizhnekamsk, Saratov and Ulyanovsk

to ensure air safety.

Earlier, Rosaviatsia temporarily suspended flights from the

Volgograd airport in southern Russia, but flights there have

since been restored, it said on Telegram.

There were no official reports on any attack on

Volgograd, but Baza, and other Russian news Telegram channels

reported a large coordinated drone attack that reportedly

targeted an oil refinery.

Reuters could not independently verify the Baza reports.

There was no immediate comment from Ukraine.

Kyiv has said previously that its attacks inside Russia

are aimed at destroying energy, transport and military

infrastructure that is key to Moscow's war efforts.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said they are also a

response to Russia's continued bombing of Ukraine since the

start of Moscow's

full-scale invasion

in February 2022.