A drone strike has reportedly targeted the Kronstadt plant in the city of Dubna, near Moscow—a key site in Russia’s advanced drone production network.
The facility, one of Russia’s most modern UAV production centers, manufactures long-range reconnaissance and strike drones including the Orion and Inokhodets systems. It also produces the recently developed “Banderol” cruise missile, designed for launch from drones. Public information on the missile remains limited, but reports suggest it is a low-observable, high-precision system intended for strikes against air defense units, electronic warfare systems, or critical infrastructure.
According to Ukrainian sources, the strike damaged parts of the facility. The Kronstadt plant hosts a full-cycle production capability, from composite airframes to onboard electronics, and plays a central role in Russia’s strategy to replace imported components with domestic alternatives.
In addition to the Orion and Banderol systems, the plant is also involved in the production of new-generation stealth drones such as Grom, Sirius, and Helios, along with rotor-based unmanned aircraft.
The Dubna machine building plant in the Moscow region is burning after being struck by Ukrainian UAVs.
The plant produces missiles and drones. pic.twitter.com/uh7omzKR9v
— (((Tendar))) (@Tendar) May 28, 2025
Kronstadt is not an isolated operation. It is part of a larger military-industrial hub that includes the Dubna Machine-Building Plant (DMZ), which develops missile systems for operational-tactical and strategic use, and the Raduga Design Bureau, part of Tactical Missiles Corporation. Raduga is known for producing advanced air-launched cruise missiles such as the Kh-101, Kh-59/69, and Kh-32.
There has been no official confirmation from the Russian Ministry of Defense on the extent of the damage. However, the targeting of such a central facility represents a direct challenge to Russia’s unmanned aviation programs, which are increasingly reliant on sites like Kronstadt for continued development and production.