Ukrainian drone attack targets Russian gunpowder factory, defense official says

A Ukrainian drone strike targeted a gunpowder factory in western Russia on Thursday, a Kyiv security source said, adding it was the latest attack aimed at disrupting Russia’s military logistics.

Kiev has stepped up its air strikes on military and energy facilities in Russia in recent months, hoping to limit Moscow’s ability to attack Ukrainian cities or gain further ground in the industrial east.

A Ukrainian defense source told AFP the attack was carried out using explosive drones, one of which successfully hit a military facility in the city of Kotovsk in Russia’s Tambov region.

The area is located about 350 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.

The extent of the damage and information about enemy losses are still being evaluated, the source said.

A local Russian media outlet published an alleged video of the incident. AFP could not confirm the authenticity of the footage.

Earlier, local Tambov governor Maxim Egorov said on Telegram that two drones had been reported in the region and both had been “destroyed” without causing any damage or casualties.

Ukrainian defense sources said the site was used to produce ammunition and gunpowder for small arms and was the target of drone attacks in January and November.

In addition, Ukraine has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks on Russian refineries and oil storage facilities in recent months, not only in border regions but also in areas hundreds of kilometers from the border.

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The attack came against the backdrop of a systematic Russian campaign of attacks against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, causing permanent damage to vital facilities and necessitating the introduction of scheduled power outages.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on Kyiv’s allies to provide more air defense systems to ward off Russian missile and drone attacks.

Zelensky said that due to systematic Russian attacks on energy facilities, Ukrainian electricity production had halved compared to the previous year.