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Three people have been killed and dozens have been injured in a Ukrainian drone strike on a Russian industrial plant, a local official confirmed on Tuesday.
Regional governor Alexander Brechalov did not name the targeted facility in Izhevsk, but a Ukrainian security official earlier told Reuters that at least two long-range drones operated by the Security Service of Ukraine struck the Kupol plant, which manufactures drones and air defenсe systems, and caused a fire.
At least two direct hits were recorded on the plant’s buildings, the Ukrainian official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly.
The industrial plant in Izhevsk, about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) east of Moscow, has started a fire and led to the plant’s workers evacuation, Mr Brechalov added. He confirmed three people have been killed and left 35 others injured.
A column of black smoke could be seen billowing into the sky from the site of a fire at a cluster of buildings in videos shared by the Ukrainian official who said the plant's production facilities and warehouses had been hit.
Brechalov said he had informed Russian President Vladimir Putin about the incident.
The audacious attack within Russian territory, some 1,300 kilometres (800 miles) from the Ukrainian border, comes as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has prioritised the development of such long-range weaponry, reflecting a broader escalation in drone warfare.
Both sides in the conflict, now in its third year since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, have increasingly relied on sophisticated drone technology, transforming the battlefield into a testing ground for advanced unmanned aerial vehicles.
This escalation is underscored by Russia's own intensified drone campaign, which saw a record 5,438 drones launched at Ukraine last month, according to official data collated by The Associated Press.
While Ukraine faces significant pressure from Russian advances along the roughly 1,000-kilometre (620-mile) front line, analysts suggest its defences are largely holding firm.
With recent US-led peace talks failing to yield progress, both Moscow and Kyiv continue to bolster their arsenals, indicating a prolonged conflict where technological superiority, particularly in drone capabilities, is becoming increasingly crucial.
Ukraine is stepping up drone production
Ukraine has for months been using domestically produced long-range drones to strike plants, storage sites and logistical hubs deep inside Russian territory.
Andrii Kovalenko, the head of the counter-disinformation branch of Ukraine’s Security Council, indicated on the Telegram messaging app that Tuesday's target was a local plant producing Russian drones and air defense systems.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s domestic production of drones is 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 late Monday.
“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 that 60 Ukrainian drones were downed overnight over several regions, including 17 over Crimea, 16 over the Rostov region and four over the Saratov region.
At the same time, four Russian Shahed drones struck the southern Ukraine city of Zaporizhzia during the night, leaving more than 1,600 households without power, according to authorities.
Ukraine’s air force said Tuesday that Russia fired 52 Shahed and decoy drones at the country overnight.
US envoy criticises Russian attacks
US President Donald Trump’s special envoy to Ukraine and Russia, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, rebuked Russia for continuing to strike civilian areas of Ukraine while effectively rejecting a ceasefire and dragging its feet on a peace settlement.
“We urge an immediate ceasefire and a move to trilateral talks to end the war,” Kellogg said on the social platform X late Monday. “Russia cannot continue to stall for time while it bombs civilian targets in Ukraine.”
Ukraine is developing its own defense industry as uncertainty remains over whether the Trump administration will continue to provide crucial military aid.
Between March and April, the United States allocated no new aid to Ukraine, according to Germany’s Kiel Institute, which tracks such support.
Europe’s support and for the first time since June 2022 surpassed the US in total military aid, totaling 72 billion euros ($85 billion) compared with 65 billion euros ($77 billion) from the US, the institute said last month.
