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Today, there are important updates from the Russian Federation.
Here, as the intensity of Russian drone attacks reaches levels never seen before, the Ukrainians took drastic measures to counter this threat. Repeatedly targeting Russian drone production capabilities helps ensure that the Ukrainian air defense can deal with the constant enemy drone swarms more easily.
In recent weeks, Ukraine has faced a substantial increase in Russian drone strikes. Typically, Russian forces have employed an evolving strategy of launching around 100 Shahed drones per night for one or two consecutive days, while producing far more than 100 Shaheds a day, allowing them to build up their stockpiles. Subsequently, after they’ve gained a large enough reserve, they unleash massive waves exceeding 500 drones in a single night, combining Shahed and decoy Gerber drones.
This tactic aims to overwhelm Ukrainian air defenses, targeting multiple cities or inflicting severe damage to a single strategic location. Following these saturation drone attacks, Russia frequently launches ballistic missiles, exploiting exhausted air defense systems.
This alarming situation has emerged as Russia has massively increased its domestic drone production, now reportedly producing over 5,000 drones a month. The largest such factory in Yelabuga, Tatarstan now has a new additional facility producing even more Shahed drones with enhanced efficiency.
It is strategically located closer to internal logistics networks but also places it well within striking range of Ukrainian assets and has already suffered repeated hits before. Recognizing the mounting threat, Ukrainian forces initiated new targeted strikes to disrupt Russian drone production capabilities comprehensively. Ukrainians targeted the biggest Shahed drone-manufacturing facility in Yelabuga, Tatarstan, with fires quickly rising up from the destroyed site. Long-range drones prompted temporary closures of nearby airports in Kazan and Nizhnekamsk due to immediate threats. Ukrainian General Staff confirmed the effectiveness of the strike, severely impacting Russia’s Shahed production at this key site.
Further enhancing these efforts, Ukraine successfully struck the Progress facility in Cheboksary, Chuvash Republic, renowned for manufacturing Kometa antennas, crucial components providing Russian drones with protection against electronic warfare interference. This strike significantly impairs Russia’s drone resilience against Ukrainian electronic countermeasures and increases the interception rate.
After some repairs in Cheborkasy were completed, Ukrainian drones struck again in a bold follow-up strike. At least two drones impacted precisely on target, triggering large-scale fires and additionally degrading this facility’s production capabilities.
Another critical operation involved Ukrainian forces hitting the Research Institute of Applied Chemistry in Sergiev Posad, Moscow region. This factory specializes in manufacturing thermobaric warheads for Shahed drones. Disrupting warhead production directly diminishes the lethality and operational effectiveness of Russian drone strikes.
Ukrainian forces also successfully executed drone attacks on the strategically vital Kupol Electromechanical Plant in Izhevsk, part of the Almaz-Antey defense conglomerate.
Satellite imagery confirmed extensive damage to four workshops dedicated to producing Shahed drones and critical components for Tor surface-to-air systems.
The precision strikes led to significant fires and structural damage, hindering ongoing drone and missile production, and causing havoc among workers.
Additionally, Ukraine conducted targeted strikes against the Rezonit Technopark in Zubovo, Moscow region, a critical electronics and microelectronics assembly plant responsible for high-tech Russian military components. Disrupting this facility significantly hinders Russia’s drone assembly operations, worsening bottlenecks in production.
Moreover, Ukrainian drones precisely struck the Progress advanced control systems plant in Michurinsk, vital for missile, aviation, and drone control systems, amplifying disruption to Russia’s drone production supply chain.
These comprehensive strikes occur as Russia aggressively upgrades its Shahed drones, significantly increasing their destructive capabilities through expanded explosive payloads, deployment of thermobaric and cluster munitions, and delayed-fuse explosives intended specifically to harm emergency response workers and rescue personnel.
Ukraine’s targeted destruction of these drone production facilities directly prevents hundreds of potential civilian casualties, highlighting the humanitarian urgency of these Ukrainian operations.
Overall, the intensifying Russian drone campaign underscores Ukraine's critical need for continued and expanded international support, both in air defense systems and intelligence sharing, to protect civilian populations and critical infrastructure effectively.
Therefore, continuous and repeated Ukrainian strikes on Russian drone manufacturing facilities remain strategically indispensable. By systematically targeting each production phase Ukraine significantly reduces the volume and lethality of incoming Russian drones. This helps Ukrainian air defenses manage drone threats more effectively, reducing civilian casualties and preserving critical infrastructure during Russia's escalating air assaults.
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