Ukraine Claims Drone Strike on Russia’s Largest Military Explosives Factory
Kiev, Ukraine – Ukrainian forces claimed a successful overnight drone strike on Russia’s largest military explosives factory and an airfield, marking the latest in a series of long-range drone attacks targeting Russian rear infrastructure.
A source fromUkraine’s Security Service (SBU) told the Kyiv Independent that the target of the drone strike was the large state-owned Sverdlovsk plant inthe city of Dzerzhinsk, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast. The factory has been under US and EU sanctions since 2023. A US press release announcing the sanctions stated that the plant produces explosives, industrial chemicals, detonators, andammunition.
The SBU source told the Kyiv Independent that the plant produces shells, aerial bombs, and missiles to support Russia’s military operations in Ukraine.
Reuters reported that the Ukrainian General Staff claimed in a statement that the strikes targeted a militaryexplosives manufacturer deep inside Russian territory, as well as infrastructure at a military airfield in the Lipetsk region. The source stated that the operations were conducted in cooperation with the SBU, Ukraine’s military intelligence agency, and Ukrainian special operations forces.
The General Staff stated that they are still assessing the damage inflicted on Russia. The governor of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast confirmed that four firefighters sustained minor injuries during the drone attack on an industrial zone in Dzerzhinsk, but did not specify if the target was the military explosives factory.
Both the Kyiv Independent and Reuters stated that they could not independently verify the reports. The Kyiv Independent noted thatUkrainian forces are at a disadvantage in terms of both manpower and firepower on the battlefield and have turned to using homemade drones to deplete Russia’s combat capabilities, targeting Russian military industrial facilities, air bases, and refineries.
However, the Kyiv Independent also acknowledged that while Ukraine frequently claims deep strikes into Russian territory, theveracity of the reports and the extent of the damage inflicted on Russia are difficult to verify.
As of this report, Russian officials have not responded to the reports of a drone strike on the largest military explosives factory. Reuters claimed that Russian officials typically do not disclose the full extent of damage caused by drone attacks, particularly thosetargeting military, transportation, and energy infrastructure.
This article is based on information from the Kyiv Independent, Reuters, and other media sources. The information has not been independently verified.
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