Ukrainian drone strikes plant deep inside Russia

KYIV, July 2 ------ A Ukrainian drone struck a Russian industrial plant some 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) from Ukraine, a local official said, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky prioritized the weapon’s development and Russia pounded its pro-West neighbor with a record number of drones in June.

Both sides in the war sparked by Russia’s Feb. 24, 2022 invasion of Ukraine have raced to improve drone technology and enhance their use on the battlefield. They have deployed increasingly sophisticated and deadlier drones, turning the war into a testing ground for the new weaponry. Ukraine is under severe strain from a Russian push at places on the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) frontline, but analysts say its defenses are largely holding firm. With recent direct peace talks delivering no progress on United States-led international efforts to halt the fighting, Russia and Ukraine are bulking up their arsenals.

Russia last month launched 5,438 drones at Ukraine — a new monthly record, according to official data collated by the Associated Press (AP). A Ukrainian drone hit an industrial plant in Izhevsk, about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) east of the Russian capital Moscow, injuring several people and starting a fire, said Alexander Brechalov, head of the Udmurtia region. The workers were evacuated, he added.

The drone struck the Kupol Electromechanical Plant, which produces air defense systems and drones for the Russian military, said an official from Ukraine’s Security Service. There were at least two direct hits on the plant’s buildings, the official added, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.

Ukraine has for months been using domestically produced long-range drones to strike plants, storage sites and logistical hubs deep inside Russian territory. In May 2024, a Ukrainian drone hit an early-warning radar in the Russian city of Orsk, some 1,800 kilometers (1,120 miles) from the Ukrainian border, Kyiv officials claimed.

Zelensky said Ukraine’s domestic production of drones was about to increase in response to Russia’s expanded barrages. “The priority is drones, interceptor drones and long-range strike drones,” he said on Telegram. “This is extremely important,” he added. “Russia is investing in its unmanned capabilities. Russia is planning to increase the number of drones used in strikes against our state. We are preparing our countermeasures.”

Russia’s Defense Ministry said 60 Ukrainian drones were downed overnight over several regions, including 17 over the Crimea Peninsula, 16 over the Rostov region and four over the Saratov region. At the same time, four Russian Shahed drones struck the southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia, leaving more than 1,600 households without power, authorities said.

Ukraine’s air force said that Russia fired 52 Shahed and decoy drones at the country overnight.

Source: manilatimes.net