Ukraine launched overnight drone strikes on Russian military infrastructure and Russian-occupied power facilities, including an airfield in Rostov Oblast and energy infrastructure in occupied parts of southern Ukraine, leading to damage and power outages.

Millerovo air base targeted in drone attack

In the early hours of 5 June, explosions were reported across Russia’s Rostov Oblast, adjacent to eastern Ukraine’s occupied Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts. According to Russian news Telegram channel Astra, local residents claimed that a military airfield in Millerovo came under drone attack. Acting governor of Rostov Oblast Yuriy Slyusar later confirmed that drones were active in the Millerovo district, though he did not explicitly confirm an attack on the airfield.

He stated that debris from the downed drones allegedly caused damage in the village of Sulin, hit structures on two properties on Dachna Street. One house ostensibly had a partially destroyed roof, while another suffered broken windows and torn electric wiring. He added that “No civilians were injured according to emergency services on the ground. The military continues to repel the enemy’s attack. Information is being clarified.”

Occupied parts of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts suffer blackouts

In a separate development, Russian-installed “Kherson Oblast governor” Vladimir Saldo claimed that more than 120,000 people in Russian-occupied parts of Kherson Oblast were left without electricity and water after a strike on a main transformer substation.

The hit allegedly occurred at 23:10 and resulted in a total blackout for 192 settlements across seven “municipal districts” – a term not used in Ukraine’s territorial structure – including Henichesk, Novotroitske, and Velyka Lepetykha.

Occupied parts of Zaporizhzhia Oblast reportedly also experienced blackouts. Head of the Russian occupation administration in the region, Yevgeny Balitsky, blamed Ukrainian forces for shelling the area, stating that “no fewer than five explosions were recorded over Melitopol,” along with an attempted strike on a power substation. Power outages were reported in parts of Melitopol, Prymorsk, Enerhodar, and Akimivka.