Around 4:30 a.m., a missile threat was declared in Orel and the Orel region. Residents were advised to take shelter.
A few minutes later, the all-clear was announced, but residents began reporting loud noises, followed shortly by reports of strong explosions.
Residents of Orel wrote on social media about unidentified drones that were reportedly seen in the sky.
A missile and drone threat was declared simultaneously in the city.
Local online communities reported that air defense systems were active, destroying several targets, with some debris falling into a residential area. This moment was captured on video.
There are several oil depots in Orel.
Orel also hosts a military base from which Russian forces launch Iranian Shahed drones at Ukraine. This base has eight ground launch pads and a 2.8 km stretch of road where drones can be launched from vehicles.
The city is located approximately 150 km from Ukraine’s northeastern border.
Attacks on Orel
As reported by RBC-Ukraine, unidentified drones attacked Orel on the night of November 5. At that time, residents complained about explosions that shook the walls of houses and flashes in the sky.
Later, the regional governor, Andrey Klychkov, stated that air defense forces over Orel destroyed the drones.
Another attack on the city occurred on the night of October 31. Explosions were also reported then. Local online communities noted the activity of air defense systems. Later, residents reported that energy infrastructure had been hit.
Subsequently, the governor confirmed that debris from an unidentified drone struck the local thermal power plant (CHP), damaging electrical equipment. However, no fire broke out.
On the same day, the Ukrainian Navy confirmed that it had launched missile strikes on the Orel CHP. Neptune missiles were used in the attack. According to the Navy, the facility supplied electricity to military enterprises in the region, so disabling it dealt a significant blow to the occupiers’ logistics.