On the night of December 30, a massive raid by unknown drones took place in Russia, with Russian air defense operating in various regions, Russian resources report. At least 70 drones were involved, according a security source of RBC.
The drones reportedly targeted Russian defense factories. Drone strikes have become Ukraine’s long-range weapon against Russian targets as Western allies prohibit using their weapons for strikes inside Russian territory. The 30 December attack was conducted right after Russia’s most-massive yet missile and drone strike on Ukraine, which reportedly targeted Ukraine’s defense enterprises.
Explosions were heard in Bryansk, Orel, Kursk, and Moscow oblasts. The Russian Defense Ministry said it had allegedly shot down 32 drones.
A source in Ukraine’s security services told RBC that the strike was a Ukrainian attack on Russian military objects that involved 70 drones of various types.
The source told that the strike especially targeted the electronics plant “Kremniy El” in Bryansk, one of the largest manufacturers of electronics for Russian military equipment, in particular, for long-range missiles and Pantsir air defense systems.
The attack on the plant was captured on a video shared by the ASTRA TG channel, which claimed it shows one drone falling onto the roof of the plant.
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ASTRA reported that two drones were downed over the plant on the night of December 30. One of them exploded in mid-air, while the other fell on the roof of an administrative building on the factory territory. Preliminarily, there are no casualties or damage.
Explosions are also known to have occurred at several military facilities in Belgorod, Tula, Tver, and Moscow, RBC reported.
“Russian air defense managed to shoot down a certain number of Ukrainian UAVs, but a significant number of them effectively hit their targets. Unlike Russian terrorist strikes on the territory of Ukraine, the Security and Defense Forces of Ukraine struck exclusively at enemy military targets,” the Ukrainian sources told RBC.
Ukraine’s intelligence: Drone attacks on Russian soil mainly target missile enterprises
According Ukraine’s intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov, one third of the relevant Russian missile enterprises are located in the European part of Russia and are reachable by drones.
This applies to the Bryansk plant Kremniy-El, which produces electronic equipment for missiles, as well as the Redkinskiy experimental plant, where rocket fuel components are produced.
“We, when practicing certain actions against facilities of the russian military-industrial complex, have only one goal: to slow down the production of Russian weapons,” Kyrylo Budanov specified.
Kremniy El was attacked earlier on 8 September, according to Babel’s sources in Ukraine’s Intelligence. 90% of its products are used in missile systems and for fighter jet avionics.
Another drone crashed and exploded on the territory of the Bryansk chemical plant that produces explosives, ASTRA reported.
At least 6 drones attacked the Bryansk Chemical Plant named after the 50th Anniversary of the USSR in the town of Seltso. One of them fell and exploded on the territory of the enterprise, shattering windows in the administrative building were damaged.
The plant is part of the Concern “Tekhmash” of Rostec State Corporation. The concern specializes in the development and serial deliveries of ammunition.
- It was already attacked on 21 November, when a drone exploded on the territory of the plant.
- Another attack on the Bryansk Chemical Plant had happened on 14 November, when a drone fell and broke through the roof of a workshop under construction. On the same day, drones attacked a Russian missile producer near Moscow.
- Earlier, on 13 October, the Bryansk plant was attacked by two drones. The roof and ventilation chamber of the production hall were damaged.
Videos of the explosions and air defense operations in Bryansk were posted online. Aleksandr Bogomaz, governor of the Bryansk Oblast, said that six drones were shot down over the region, two of them over Bryansk. There were no casualties.
Related:
- Here is a map of all Ukraine’s 2023 drone strikes on Russian targets
- ISW: Russia will continue missile strikes against Ukraine
- Russian explosive plant, Kinzhal producer hit in overnight drone attack
