Drones attack the heart of Russian energy: the attack on Kostroma GRES as a mirror of a new war of attrition
06.11.2025The morning in the center of Russia began with explosions: why is Ukraine attacking Russian energy, what are the consequences of the strikes on the third-largest thermal power plant, and what does this mean for the future of the war?
At around 8 a.m. on November 6, the Kostroma region of Russia woke up to powerful explosions: drones attacked the Kostroma GRES, one of the key thermal power plants in the federation.1. According to reports from local residents and accompanying photos, a major fire broke out at the power facility. Official Russian sources quickly confirmed the attack, stating that "special services are working to eliminate the consequences," but, as always, minimized the extent of the damage — saying that the power supply was not disrupted and there were no injuries.
What is Kostroma GRES: the significance of the station on the energy map of the Russian Federation
Kostroma GRES is, without exaggeration, one of the "backbones" of the power system of central Russia. The station provides more than 5% of all electricity in this macro-region, critically affecting the operation of industry, transport and social infrastructure.1Its capacity is about 3,6 GW, and the main fuel is natural gas with a backup connection to fuel oil.
The enterprise belongs to the flagship of the Russian energy sector - the Gazprom Energoholding group. Due to its strategic importance, the Kostroma GRES is among the objects of critical infrastructure of the Russian Federation. More than two thousand people work here, and the station provides electricity not only to the region, but also to part of Moscow and several neighboring regions.
Chronicle of the attack: what is known at this hour
Early in the morning, residents of Volgorechensk heard a series of loud explosions — according to them, the air defense system was working and "thuds" were observed. Photos of smoke and confirmation of the detonation at the station quickly appeared in local Telegram channels. The authorities promptly declared the emergency situation over and called emergency services.1.
It is significant that the Russian media immediately began to downplay the consequences, but technical experts on social media note that if the drones hit the boiler-turbine workshop or the main transformer substation, this could lead to a long-term loss of power and a deterioration in the stability of the entire unified energy system.
Reaction of the population and authorities of the Russian Federation
The official release sounds standard — “the damage did not affect the operation of the network, the power supply was not interrupted, there were no injuries.” Special emergency teams and FSB units are working on the site, and an inspection of the power equipment is underway.1Local residents write on social networks about heavy smoke and disruptions in the work of powerful industrial enterprises.
Comments in specialized engineering communities indicate that even a short-term failure of at least one unit leads to a redistribution of the load, which becomes potentially dangerous for the entire Central Energy Ring of the Russian Federation - especially during peak autumn-winter loads.
Tactics of strikes on energy: symbol and real effect
Drone attacks on Russian generation have become a trend in recent months: in August and October, the Belgorod and Kursk TPPs were hit, and smaller substations in Bryansk and Voronezh were also hit.2Symbolically, it is Russia that has been destroying Ukrainian infrastructure for years, and is now receiving an asymmetric response with targeted strikes.
However, experts warn that even if the plant is not completely destroyed, the effect of psychological pressure and the shortage of reserve capacity is important for the Russian Federation. The vital energy structure has become vulnerable to permanent risks - something that the Russian Federation did not even think about a few years ago.
Military and energy context: why it's not yet a "blackout", but it's no longer routine
Energy strikes work as a force of psychological and infrastructural exhaustion: each time — losses, conveyor stops, increased accident rate, loss of safety margin in reserve generation. Each successful strike — is a logistical discomfort for military production, transport and mobilization, and also — the destruction of the population's confidence in the "invulnerability" of their own state3.
Often after strikes, local authorities declare that "major systems are intact," but satellite monitoring data shows that even short-term disruptions have a cumulative effect on the overall energy system of the aggressor country.
What are the risks and prospects for Ukraine itself?
Experts warn: Russia may respond with massive missile strikes on Ukrainian energy. But each attack on strategic enemy facilities forces Russia to divert forces to air defense, repairs, and security, dispersing resources and exposing other important points2.
Another critical consequence is the possibility of provoking the Russian leadership into irrational actions in response; an intensification of information and psychological warfare is also likely, with the shifting of responsibility for energy problems to "terrorist attacks" from Ukraine.
Opening a new stage of hybrid warfare: forces, strategies, forecasts
When drones that can cover hundreds of kilometers appear on the horizon of escalation, even the most fortified objects can no longer be considered unreachable. This creates a new military-technical race: on the one hand, the constant improvement of air defense means, on the other, the increase in reconnaissance and strike capabilities of the Ukrainian side.3
Experts agree: each such operation is both a defeat for the technocratic prestige of the Russian Federation and a signal to NATO allies about a real change in the balance in the air and information space of all of Eastern Europe.
Insider's view and public reaction
Discussions in specialized engineering and military forums in the Russian Federation are only growing: “What to do with the backup system? Are the turbines and nodes protected?” There is an open fear that under the conditions of a new series of strikes, not just damage but also complete incapacitation of the energy ring with uncontrollable consequences will become possible. Ordinary Russians are discussing that in 2024–2025, the country may face large-scale power or heat outages in the central regions for the first time.
Ukrainian commentators emphasize: a justified and effective strike on the Kostroma GRES is a fair asymmetric response to the destruction of Ukrainian energy capacity, this is the formation of a new logic of war - when the front passes through transformer parks and turbogenerator shops, and the energy sector becomes a battlefield.
Sources
- Censor.NET: Drones attacked a Russian power plant in the Kostroma region
- Reuters: Russian fuel export halted after Tuapse port drone strike
- BBC: Russia war – Ukrainian DRONE attacks hit power plants
