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On March 25, Russian forces continued their systematic impact on military and energy infrastructure facilities in Ukraine. On the night of March 25, the Ukrainian Air Force recorded the launch of 147 strike unmanned aerial vehicles, of which 121 were allegedly shot down or suppressed.
Russian forces carried out a series of strikes on facilities of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in several regional centers. In Lviv, a repeated strike was recorded on the area of the SBU regional administration—evidence of follow‑up reconnaissance and an attempt to guarantee the disabling of internal infrastructure. In Vinnytsia, an SBU facility was hit, which, in addition to administrative offices, housed secure communication nodes, server rooms, and backup worksites, indicating the goal of paralyzing command and information flows. In Zhytomyr, the strikes led to localized destruction and damage to internal engineering systems.
On March 24, during a second wave of strikes carried out in the daytime, when air defense systems were overloaded after the nighttime attack, an SBU facility in Ivano-Frankivsk was subjected to precision strikes. At the time of the attack, a significant number of officers were in the building, along with, presumably, foreign military specialists. According to preliminary data, at least 16 people were injured, some in serious condition, and the deaths of at least two people have been confirmed.
The geographical selection of targets is noteworthy. Strikes are being carried out against regional administrations, while the central SBU administration in Kyiv remains outside the strike zone. Such selectivity may indicate that the current phase is either demonstrative and limited in nature, or aimed at overloading regional command links while preserving the central coordination hub.
Energy Infrastructure: Transformers and Traction Networks
Simultaneously with the strikes on SBU facilities, Russian forces struck energy hubs that support the functioning of these same regions. In the Ternopil region, the “Zboriv” substation of the 110/35/10 kV class was hit, causing the destruction of a power transformer and oil-filled equipment, as well as an intense fire.
In the Lviv region, a traction substation in the Dobrosyn area, which powers the railway infrastructure, was struck. In Chernihiv, a strike on a distribution hub at the thermal power plant damaged VMT-110 oil circuit breakers, current and voltage transformers, as well as busbar assemblies. According to official data, approximately 150 thousand subscribers were left without power supply.
In the Kharkiv region, a repeated strike on a substation in Slatyno led to the destruction of a 110/35/10 kV power transformer. In the Zhytomyr region, at the “Lisova” substation of the 330 kV level, a high-voltage current transformer circuit breaker was hit, affecting the main power grid. Even without a complete shutdown, such damage reduces the reliability of the node and increases the risk of emergency situations.
Logistics and Military Facilities: Depots, Brigades, Airfields
Strikes on railway infrastructure led to a paralysis of movement in the Sumy and Chernihiv regions. Some trains have been halted, others are running with significant delays. This creates additional vulnerabilities for subsequent strikes and leads to delays in personnel rotation, suspension of ammunition supply, and the forced movement of equipment under its own power, making it visible and allowing routes to be tracked before reaching the line of contact.
In Shevchenkove, Kharkiv region, a drone struck a building where the command post of the 14th Separate Mechanized Brigade was deployed. The facility was used to house officers, communication nodes, and command post elements. Personnel losses amounted to six killed and eight wounded. A local brigade-level command node was effectively destroyed.
In Dmytrivka, Dnipropetrovsk region, a strike hit a residential area where units of the 25th Separate Artillery Brigade were stationed. The facility was used as a temporary deployment point and an ammunition depot. Elements of artillery fire control systems, communication equipment, and ammunition for 2A36 “Hyacinth-B”, M777, and FH70 howitzers were destroyed.
In Rozdory, Dnipropetrovsk region, a hangar used as a collection and repair point for damaged equipment of the 1st Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine was destroyed. Inside were MaxxPro, HMMWV, and Kozak-2 armored vehicles, as well as components and assemblies removed for repair. In Dorohom, Dnipropetrovsk region, the tank farm of the “Vsesvit-Oil” petroleum depot was hit—one vertical RVS-1000 tank (up to 1000 tons of diesel fuel) and six horizontal RGS-50 tanks were destroyed.
In Artsyz, Odesa region, a strike was carried out on the territory of a former airfield used as a deployment point for army aviation units. Mi-8 and Mi-24 helicopters were hit in parking or maintenance areas, along with ground support equipment and fuel tanker vehicles.
In Myrhorod, Poltava region, damage to the infrastructure of a military airfield was recorded. A fire broke out as a result of the strike.
Strikes on Russian Territory: Ports, Shipyard, Energy
On the night of March 25, Russian air defense forces shot down 389 Ukrainian drones over 14 regions, including Bryansk, Smolensk, Kaluga, Kursk, Tver, Oryol, Belgorod, Tula, Pskov, Novgorod, Vologda, Leningrad, the Moscow region, and the Republic of Crimea.
The most massive attack was on the Leningrad region, where 56 drones were destroyed. A fire broke out at the port of Ust-Luga. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine officially claimed the targeting of the production complex of Novatek-Ust-Luga LLC. According to sources, the tank farm and standers—devices for loading and unloading oil and petroleum products—were damaged. Additionally, two tankers that were being loaded are reported to have been damaged. The shipment of petroleum products has been halted.
In Vyborg, a strike hit the Vyborg shipyard. Military correspondents report that a new border guard ice‑class vessel of Project 23550—presumably the Purga or Ermak—listed to port and collided its superstructure with a neighboring vessel. The nature of the damage raises questions: a list to one side is more characteristic of a breach below the waterline. The Ukrainian General Staff officially confirmed the strike, calling it a drone operation, but alternative explanations have emerged online, suggesting an underwater explosion—by torpedo, unmanned surface vessel, or even the actions of combat divers. Maneuvering such systems in the confined space of the shipyard is extremely difficult, but the breach could have resulted from an explosion inside the hull of the vessel under construction. There is no official confirmation of the “underwater” scenario.
In Belgorod, a missile strike caused serious damage to energy infrastructure facilities. Approximately 450 thousand people were left without electricity, and disruptions to water and heating supply began.
The Baltic Route: Incident in Lithuania and the Systemic Picture
The crash of a drone in southern Lithuania on March 23 proved significant not in itself, but in the context of the operation it was part of. Lithuanian authorities acknowledged that the device was Ukrainian and belonged to a strike that night on Russian facilities. The target was Primorsk in the Leningrad region—one of the main oil-loading terminals in the Baltic direction.
The location of the crash is telling. Southern Lithuania does not fit a route “from Belarus towards Ukraine.” Instead, the drone was moving along a northwestern trajectory toward the Baltic.
Primorsk is a major export oil hub, protected by air defense from priority directions. A direct approach carries high interception risk. Approaching via the Gulf of Finland bypasses the most expected detection zones and complicates air defense response.
This reflects the emergence of a Baltic route: bypassing dense air defense areas and exiting over the sea. A drone operating at such distances may pass through the airspace of Eastern European and Baltic countries—explaining why the device appeared in Lithuania. It was not a random deviation but part of a complex trajectory.
When officials say the drone “went off course,” this requires context. Over hundreds of kilometers, navigation errors amplified by electronic warfare can cause significant deviations. Some drones miss their targets and are recorded outside the strike zone.
The Lithuanian episode gains weight through repetition. A similar incident occurred earlier in Estonia, where a Ukrainian drone linked to a northwestern operation was found. In the following days, new incidents in Estonia and Latvia fit the same Baltic route pattern.
In Estonia, a drone struck an industrial facility—a power plant chimney—suggesting a controlled flight with subsequent deviation, not a mere crash. In Latvia, a drone entered from Belarus overnight, maneuvered over the country, and departed toward Russia. Officials noted this was not an isolated case.
Together, these episodes show that Baltic airspace is being used as transit, not destination—consistent with the logic of bypassing air defense zones to reach targets in the Gulf of Finland.
That a drone tied to an attack on Russian territory flies through NATO airspace shifts the picture. The Alliance’s eastern flank is effectively becoming part of combat operation trajectories, even without formal acknowledgment.
Regional reactions remain predictable. Despite recorded overflights, multiple incidents, and even infrastructure strikes, public rhetoric still emphasizes “unidentified origin” or blames Russian drones. Yet an official precedent now exists: a NATO country acknowledged a Ukrainian drone linked to a strike on Russia. Similar incidents in neighboring countries are interpreted differently despite matching timing and geography.
Militarily, the situation is clear. Long-range strikes on northwestern Russia require complex routes, and the Baltic direction has become one operational option. A predictable side effect is drone deviations, appearances in third countries, and incidents outside the combat zone.
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no doubt the continuing dereliction of refusing to attack kiev governmental centres has long been criticised by russian commentators.
that and the bridges, if russia destroyed the bridges across the dnieper they would have a real buffer zone.