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Ukraine strikes Russia with at least 75 drones

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One man killed in Volgograd

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Fire in area of a major refinery

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Russia advancing in Ukraine, Russia says

(Adds number of drones, refinery in Volgograd, details on

Pokrovsk)

MOSCOW, Nov 6 (Reuters) - Ukraine struck Russia with at

least 75 drones on Thursday, sparking a fire in an industrial

area of the southern city of Volgograd, killing at least one and

halting dozens of flights across the country, Russian officials

said.

Ukraine has for several months been striking Russian oil

refineries, depots and pipelines in a bid to undermine the

Russian economy as Russian forces advance in eastern Ukraine.

Volgograd Governor Andrei Bocharov said a 48-year-old man

was killed by shrapnel and that a fire was sparked in an

industrial zone in the Krasnoarmeysk district of the city, which

was formerly known as Stalingrad.

The district is home to Lukoil's major Volgograd

refinery which has been repeatedly targetted by Ukraine. In 2024

the Volgograd refinery processed 13.7 million metric tons of

oil, or 5.1% of the total volume at Russian refineries.

Russia's defence ministry said that 75 Ukrainian drones were

downed overnight, including 49 in the Volgograd region.

Russian media said that 13 airports across Russia halted

flights amid the drone attack.

Russia said on Wednesday that its forces were advancing

north inside Pokrovsk in a drive to take full control of the

Ukrainian city.

Russia's military says it now controls more than 19% of

Ukraine, or some 116,000 square km (44,800 square miles).

Pro-Ukrainian maps show that Russia has taken more than

3,400 square km of Ukrainian territory so far this year - the

same maps say that at the end of 2023, Russia controlled 18% of

Ukraine.