UAV event in Oryol area, Russian Federation on Mon 12th January 2026

A thermal power plant in Russia’s Oryol is on fire after a Ukrainian drone attack on the facility, local authorities said on Jan. 12.

Governor Andrei Klychkov reported explosions in the city and said air defenses were active over the region. Russian Telegram channels reported, “Oryol — prepare for a prolonged attack; we are tracking a large group of unmanned aerial vehicles moving from Bryansk toward Oryol.”

Telegram channel Exilenova+ reported that the strike damaged the Oryol thermal power plant. Video circulating online showed flames and rising smoke from the site.

This was not the first energy-related disruption in Oryol. On Dec. 19, 2025, a series of explosions triggered blackouts in part of the city.

Meanwhile, in neighboring Belgorod Oblast, residents faced a third consecutive day without electricity as of Jan. 12. Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said roughly 600,000 people remained without power and more than 60 percent of the region’s cell towers were offline.

According to the Telegram channel Pepel, on Jan. 9, an attack struck the Storozhevaya substation in Belgorod, along with other energy infrastructure, cutting power to the entire city. The channel also reported a hit on the Luch thermal power station, where smoke was seen rising over the facility.