Votkinsk, Russia. Ukraine’s General Staff said its forces struck a Russian plant manufacturing ballistic missiles in the Udmurtia region, about 1,400 km from Ukraine. Russian regional officials said an overnight drone attack caused damage and injuries.
Ukraine’s account of the strike
Ukraine said it attacked a plant in Votkinsk that manufactures Russian missiles, including the short-range Iskander and intercontinental Topol-M. In a statement on Telegram, the Ukrainian military said it used domestically produced ground-launched Flamingo cruise missiles and that the strike caused a fire at the site.
Russian regional response and reported disruptions
Alexander Brechalov, the governor of Russia’s Udmurtia region, said a site was attacked overnight with drones and that there had been damage and injuries, without providing further details. Russia’s civil aviation authority Rosaviatsiya said the airport in Izhevsk, Udmurtia’s main city, and airports in nearby regions suspended operations.
Unconfirmed reports from Russian Telegram channel
The unofficial Russian Telegram channel SHOT reported that residents in Votkinsk heard at least three explosions and the humming of drones, citing contacts it said were in the security services.
Broader context and additional claim
Ukraine said Russia uses ballistic missiles to reinforce drone attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, disrupting electricity and heating supplies during winter. Ukraine has increasingly targeted military and energy infrastructure inside Russia, saying strikes on weapons producers and the energy system supporting Russia’s military are intended to increase leverage as the war approaches its fifth year.
The Ukrainian military also said it hit a gas processing plant in Russia’s Samara region, though officials in Samara issued no report of such an attack.
What impact do you think deep strikes on military and energy infrastructure could have on the course of the war?
