Ukrainian Forces Attack Industrial Site in Russia
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — On Saturday, Ukrainian forces targeted an industrial facility deep inside Russia, reported by Ukraine and various unofficial Russian news outlets to be a crucial state-owned missile manufacturing plant. The strike in the Udmurt Republic reportedly resulted in 11 injuries, with three individuals requiring hospitalization, according to local health minister Sergei Bagin via Telegram.
Regional head Alexander Brechalov confirmed on Telegram that drones operated by Ukraine hit one of the local facilities, causing injuries and damage, though he did not disclose specific details about the site. Later, Ukraine’s General Staff announced they struck a significant missile plant near Votkinsk utilizing Ukrainian-made FP-5 “Flamingo” cruise missiles.
According to a post from the General Staff on Facebook, the Votkinsk Plant suffered an attack, resulting in a recorded fire on the premises, with further assessments ongoing. The unofficial Telegram channel, Astra, echoed these claims, identifying the Votkinsk Machine Building Plant as the target based on local footage.
Situated over 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) from Ukraine, the Votkinsk factory is known for producing Iskander ballistic missiles—which are commonly employed against Ukraine—as well as nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles and submarines’ missiles.
A separate Telegram channel, SHOT, noted that local residents reported hearing multiple blasts and suspected drone activity during the night. Additionally, the main airport in Izhevsk and other regional airports halted operations early Saturday, per Rosaviatsiya, Russia’s civil aviation authority.
In other incidents, Ukraine’s General Staff reported strikes on a gas processing facility in Samara, Russia, following reports from Russian military blogs about a fire caused by the attack, although officials provided no immediate comments. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed it had targeted Ukrainian “Flamingo” missile launch sites without mentioning the Votkinsk missile plant or any Ukrainian assaults in the area.
No Progress in Peace Talks
This strike follows recent U.S.-facilitated discussions between Moscow and Kyiv about Russia’s extensive invasion of Ukraine, which ended without any substantial progress just days prior. As the fourth anniversary of the war approaches next week, these negotiations marked a third round orchestrated by Washington, following earlier meetings in Abu Dhabi that were deemed constructive but yielded no major advancements.
