Ukraine recently escalated its drone warfare against Russia by targeting key energy infrastructure, notably launching a drone attack on the Smolensk nuclear power plant and the Primorsk oil terminal. On September 12, 2025, Russia’s atomic energy agency Rosatom reported that a Ukrainian combat drone was intercepted near the third power unit of the Smolensk plant with no significant damage or change in radiation levels. Although the drone’s explosion shattered windows in auxiliary facilities, the plant’s operations remained normal. This marked the second such attempt after a similar drone strike near Kursk last month. Simultaneously, Ukraine’s Security Service claimed responsibility for a drone strike on Russia’s Primorsk port in the Leningrad region, setting fire to a vessel and pumping station and forcing suspension of loading operations—an unprecedented attack on one of Russia’s largest oil export terminals. Russian authorities contained the fires, averting oil spills, though the strike reportedly disrupted energy exports amid ongoing stalled peace talks. These intensified Ukrainian drone assaults underline Kyiv’s strategy to cripple Russian energy capabilities while the conflict and diplomatic stalemate persist, raising regional security concerns.