A series of drone strikes rocked the city of Yelabuga in Russia’s southeastern Tatarstan region, targeting a factory involved in the license production of the Iranian Shahed-series one-way attack drones.
The precision strikes caused significant damage to several structures within the facility.
The Ukrainian military deployed a suicide drone to execute the strike, specifically targeting the large-scale production of Shahed-type drones at the factory located in the city of Alabuga, Republic of Tatarstan. Notably, this marks the first instance of using general aviation aircraft transformed into attack drones for strikes beyond a range of 1200 kilometers.
The attacks and subsequent explosions occurred within the territory of the Alabuga Special Economic Zone, resulting in damage to one of the factories. Eyewitnesses reported witnessing multiple drone sorties during the incident, although there is currently no information regarding casualties.
Earlier statements from Ukrainian officials, including Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov, highlighted Ukraine’s efforts to ramp up drone production. Fedorov emphasized Ukraine’s substantial increase in drone production in 2024, citing successful attacks on Russian oil refineries as evidence of their expanding capabilities.
“The majority of drones used in the attacks on Russian refineries have a radius of operation ranging from 700 to 1000 kilometers. However, there are now models capable of flying over 1000 kilometers,” stated Fedorov, underscoring Ukraine’s commitment to enhancing its unmanned aerial capabilities to counter Russian aggression.