Ukraine’s Largest Ever Drone Strike Hits Russian Missile Plant Near Moscow

May 29 ------ Long-range drones operated by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) struck a key Russian defense industry facility, the Raduga Design Bureau, Kyiv Post sources within the security agency report. The Raduga plant, located in the city of Dubna and named after Bereznyak, lies 130 kilometers (81.25 miles) north of Moscow. It was struck by Ukrainian drones that successfully bypassed air defenses protecting the Russian capital.  

According to the SBU, the attack hit the plant’s assembly and equipment workshops, both of which are currently on fire. “The SBU continues to carry out high-precision strikes on critical enterprises of Russia’s military-industrial complex whose products are used as weapons in the war against Ukraine. Drone sanctions by the SBU against the technological rear of the Russian army will continue,” a security service source told Kyiv Post.  

The Raduga plant is part of Russia’s Tactical Missiles Corporation and manufactures various types of missiles, including air-to-air, air-to-surface, and surface-to-surface systems. Among them are the Kh-101/555, Kh-69, and Kh-59MK cruise missiles – all of which Russia continues to use in its attacks on terrified civilians and to target infrastructure across Ukraine. 

Kyiv states that it consistently only targets facilities linked to the Russian Federation’s military capabilities, acting in accordance with its right to self-defense under the UN Charter. The strikes are aimed at infrastructure directly involved in supporting Russia’s war effort, such as missile, drone, and weapons manufacturing plants. By focusing solely on military targets, Ukraine maintains its strategic and moral position in the face of ongoing aggression. Russia said it repelled a record-breaking drone attack overnight on Tuesday / Wednesday, destroying nearly 300 Ukrainian drones across multiple regions, including near the capital. The strike forced Moscow to close its major airports temporarily. 

The large-scale drone barrage came shortly after Ukraine endured the most intense wave of Russian airstrikes since the start of the invasion. Kyiv said Russia launched nearly 1,000 drones and missiles between Saturday and Monday – killing 13 civilians, including three children , on Sunday alone. 

Russia’s Defense Ministry said that from 9 p.m. on May 27 to 7 a.m. on May 28, air defense systems destroyed or intercepted 296 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles. Earlier estimates put the number of drones at 145, but the new figure marks the largest single drone assault on Russian territory since the full-scale war began in 2022. 

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 33 drones were shot down as they approached the capital. In the wider Moscow region, Governor Andrei Vorobyov said 42 drones were intercepted across 12 municipalities. Three residential buildings were damaged in Chekhov, but no casualties were reported. Russia reports Ukrainian drone attacks often, but officials said this one was unusual in size. Moscow, located hundreds of kilometers from the border with Ukraine, is rarely the target of such a major strike. 

Source: kyivpost.com