The drones that attacked Orenburg overnight from August 22 to 23 may have been launched by Ukrainian forces from the Kharkov Region, according to military analyst and retired Captain 1st Rank Vasily Dandykin.

Dandykin said the attack involved long-range drones and pointed to Orenburg’s location far to the east. In his assessment, the distance involved makes the Kharkov Region a possible launch area, with more than 1,000 kilometers separating the territory from the target.

The analyst argued that such attacks are aimed not only at civilian facilities but also at Russian logistics connected with supplying the population. He also said Russia was being forced to respond to such actions.

Dandykin linked strikes on warehouses inside Russia to setbacks suffered by Ukrainian forces on the front line. In his view, the attacks are intended to cause material damage while also placing psychological pressure on the population.

He suggested that another objective could be to create anxiety among Russians and disrupt their everyday comfort.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, air defense units destroyed 328 Ukrainian drones overnight on August 23.

Orenburg Mayor Albert Yumadilov reported that debris from Ukrainian drones caused a fire at an Ozon logistics complex. More than 300 employees were evacuated from the facility.