The drones were shot down, but the debris fell on a plant in the town of Yelabuga, where Shahed-type attack drones are manufactured, causing
Ukraine has again hit Russia's offensive air power capabilities.
The latest effort involves hitting a factory deep in Russia which produces Russian knockoffs of Iran's Shahed drones. The full extent of the damage to the factory is still being determined.
Russia says that the Ukrainian drones were shot down but the factory was set on fire by falling debris. This is not the first time we've heard an excuse like this. It sounds more like a face saving fig leaf for another failure by Russia.
Ukraine allegedly launched drones at Russia’s Tatarstan region, killing one and injuring 13, regional governor Rustam Minnikhanov reported on June 15. The Ukrainian drones were reportedly shot down, but the debris fell on a plant in the town of Yelabuga, where Russian Shahed-type attack drones are manufactured, causing a fire. According to Minnikhanov, it was an automobile plant, but some Telegram channels, including Astra, speculate that the well-known drone factory was the target. Ukraine's General Staff subsequently confirmed details of the strike, including that it was directed at Shahed-style drone production in Yelabuga. [ ... ] A video of the attack was shared on Telegram, showing smoke billowing over the town, which lies some 1,500 kilometers from Kyiv. There has been no official statement from Kyiv on the alleged strike, and the Kyiv Independent could not independently verify these claims. The so-called Alabuga Special Economic Zone hosts a factory producing Shahed-type long-range attack drones as well as other reconnaissance drones, and has been repeatedly targeted by Ukrainian forces since its launch in 2022. The factory aims to produce 6,000 Shahed-type drones a year, with each one estimated to cost as little as $20,000.
Even minor damage to the factory would slow down production.
The factory in Yelabuga is 787 miles/1,267 km from the Ukrainian border. That's about the air distance from NYC to Madison, Wisconsin or London to Madrid.
Perhaps you're thinking that Russia can just get more drones from Iran to make up for lost production. But Israel in its war with Iran apparently just bombed the Shahed factory in Isfahan.
Media: Israel destroys Shahed factory in Iran with airstrike
According to the Defense Express resource , the city of Isfahan is indeed home to a factory producing Shahed-136 drones, which Russia also uses for massive attacks on Ukraine. The coordinates of the facility, which is subordinate to the Iranian Ministry of Defense, are: 32.62264, 51.69310. The enterprise is located on the territory of a helicopter air base. There are also several other important military facilities nearby, including underground missile tunnels, air defense positions, and underground bunkers.
So directly or indirectly, June has not been a great month for Russia's military. Putin has fewer "cards" to play.
