Aircraft-Size Drone Attacks Russian UAV Factory 1,200 Km from Ukraine

An "aircraft-sized" drone, believed to be an unmanned version of a Ukrainian A22 light aircraft, crashed near a factory manufacturing the Geran Kamikaze drone in the town of Yelabuga, Tatarstan, this morning.

The location of the attack is approximately 1,200 kilometers from the Ukrainian front, marking the farthest distance Kyiv's drones have reached during the war so far. This raises questions about the efficacy of Russian air defense systems.

A video posted on Telegram shows a turboprop aircraft with fixed landing gear flying towards a large building and exploding on impact. Russian and Ukrainian sources commented that the aircraft is an unmanned version of the A22 light trainer aircraft.

Russian Telegram channels report that around six in the morning local time, explosions occurred in the territory of the special economic zone "Alabuga," near the city of Yelabuga.

Among other things, two enterprises for the production of Russian military drones, including Shahed, are located there. This marks the first attack on Russian Tatarstan since the beginning of the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war.

"Unmanned aerial vehicles attacked the enterprises of the republic in Yelabuga and Nizhnyokamsk this morning," said the head of the region, Rustam Minikhanov.

At the same time, the Russian official stated that there were allegedly no serious destructions, and the technological process of the enterprises was not disturbed. However, there is reported destruction of the premises.

Eyewitness photos and videos reveal a damaged two-story building bearing the inscription "Heron." This structure, known to be one of the hostel buildings constructed in 2022 for employees of the special economic zone and students of the educational center "Alabuga Polytechnic," is reported to have six victims.

Subsequently, a source from "RBK-Ukraine" in the Ukrainian special services told Ukrainian press that this was an operation of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (GUR).

The target of the attack in Russian Tatarstan, situated approximately 1,200 kilometers from Ukraine, was the Shahediv assembly plant, known to Russians as Geran-2. Intelligence sources have confirmed that the strike caused significant damage to the production facilities.

In 2024, an extensive network of enterprises will participate in the production of Iranian drones within Russia. The primary contractors for this project are "Alabuga PPT SEZ" JSC and the "Alabuga Machines" company, entrusted with ensuring the final outcome.

Located within the "Alabuga" special economic zone, "Alabuga Machines" handles the manufacturing of fuselages, engines, and electronics, with final assembly taking place at their facilities.