Ukraine's drones strike factory in Tatarstan, home to Tu-22M and Tu-160M aircraft production
Photo: Russian media
On April 17 in the morning, Ukraine's intelligence strike drones attacked an aircraft factory located in Kazan, a city within the region of Tatarstan in Russia. The factory is used by the enemy for manufacturing and repairing Tu-22M and Tu-160M bombers.
RBC-Ukraine reports this, referring to the special sources.
Sources report that the explosions were heard in Kazan around 10 a.m. (Kyiv time) on April 17, originating from the aviation plant named after Gorbunov.
According to local media and social media users, an air–raid siren sounded near the Kazan Aviation Plant before the explosions. Simultaneously, personnel were evacuated from the premises of the plant.
Meanwhile, Rosaviatsia (the Russian aviation authority) has announced that the airports in Kazan, Nizhnyokamsk, and Nizhny Novgorod are temporarily not operational for incoming or outgoing flights. Photos and videos of explosions caused by drone attacks at the plant's premises have started circulating on the internet.
For reference:
The Kazan Aviation Production Industrial Association, named after S. P. Gorbunov, is a Russian aviation company that belongs to the Tupolev Design Bureau group.
The factory in question manufactures and maintains Russian military planes, specifically the Tu-22M and Tu-160M strategic bombers, which Russia uses to carry out missile strikes against Ukraine.
It is worth mentioning that the armed forces of Ukraine and the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense carried out a joint operation, targeting the military airfield in Dzhankoi located in the temporarily occupied Crimea.
The sources confirm that it is highly likely that three air defense batteries at the Dzhankoi airfield were destroyed due to the strike.
In addition, invaders could have also lost:
- several helicopters,
- fuel oil tank,
- ammunition depot,
- two radar stations,
- one EW/ ELINT station,
- Bastion coastal missile system.
On April 2, drones from Ukraine carried out their first attack on businesses in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. The explosions were audible in the "Alabuga" special economic zone, which houses numerous industrial and manufacturing facilities located 1,000 kilometers away from the Ukrainian border.
The factory that assembled Shahed drones was the intended target of the attack, which Ukraine's intelligence agency carried out. According to Russian media reports, the drones also struck the dormitory where the factory employees resided. There are confirmed casualties as a result of the attack.
In addition, Ukrainian drones attacked an oil refinery in Tatarstan. This is not far from where the Shahed plant was also hit.
As Rubryka reported, in 2024, there were 15 drone attacks on 13 oil refineries in 9 regions of the Russian Federation. Of them, eight objects suffered significant damage.
У британській розвідці оцінили здатність росії захистити військові заводи від українських БпЛА
Ukrainian Security Service's drones take down Russian radar station in Bryansk, covering 700 km of Ukraine's skies
Ukraine has launched 15 drone strikes on Russian refineries in 2024
