Ukrainian Drones Strike Aviation Plant in Russia's Smolensk

Ukrainian drones targeted the Russian city of Smolensk on the night of January 21, causing fires, power outages, and temporary water supply disruptions.

Local reports suggest the attack affected the Smolensk Aviation Plant, which manufactures and repairs military aircraft and missiles.

Eyewitness footage shared on social media captured the sounds of drones, explosions, and subsequent fires in Smolensk’s Zadniprovsky district.

Vasilyi Anokhin, governor of the Smolensk region, confirmed the incident, stating that Russian air defense systems intercepted several drones. Debris from the intercepted drones caused multiple fires.

The attack marks another instance of strikes on Russian aviation facilities. Analysts from the Dnipro OSINT group noted that one fire appeared to originate in a workshop at the Smolensk aircraft plant, part of the Tactical Missiles Corporation. In October 2023, a similar attack disrupted the production of Kh-59 air-to-surface missiles at the same facility.

Smolensk is located approximately 300 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. The recent drone attack highlights ongoing risks to Russia’s defense infrastructure, with earlier reports also citing strikes on the Kazan Aviation Plant.

The full extent of the damage from the Smolensk incident remains under assessment.

Smolensk attack repelled, 156 drones shot down in several parts of Russia overnight

Air defense forces have repelled an attack by Ukrainian drones on the Smolensk region, Governor Vasily Anokhin reported.

Over the past 24 hours, Russian military shot down 156 Ukrainian drones, including 55 outside the special operation zone (deep inside Russia), the Russian Defense Ministry reported on Tuesday.
       "Air defense systems shot down four French-made Hammer guided aerial bombs, six U.S.-made HIMARS multiple launch rockets, and 156 aircraft-type unmanned aerial vehicles, including 55 outside the special military operation zone,"