This month, 1,000 people chose to support the Kyiv Independent. Can we count on you, too?
Become a member
Skip to content
A general view on Alabuga, a special economic zone in the Yelabuga district, Tatarstan, Russia, hosting over 20 industrial enterprises, 2017. (Wikipedia)
This audio is created with AI assistance

Ukraine's military intelligence agency (HUR) targeted a manufacturing facility for Shahed-type attack drones in Russia's Republic of Tatarstan, a source in HUR told the Kyiv Independent on April 2.

Russia's military has used Iranian-designed Shahed-type kamikaze drones to attack Ukraine's cities and critical infrastructure regularly throughout the full-scale invasion, killing and injuring dozens of civilians.

Over the last weeks, Ukraine has carried out increasingly regular attacks on Russian oil refineries and other industrial facilities with long-range drones.

Drones hit industrial facilities in Tatarstan's Yelabuga and Nizhnekamsk, allegedly injuring several people, the republic's press service reported earlier the same day, claiming that "there was no serious damage."

The technological process at the enterprises "was not disrupted," according to the local authorities. The Kyiv Independent is unable to verify claims made by Russian authorities.

The press service of Alabuga, a special economic zone in the Yelabuga district hosting over 20 industrial enterprises, said that one of its dormitories was damaged in the attack and two people were wounded, Russian state-controlled media outlet RIA Novosti reported.

Yelabuga is located over 1,200 kilometers away from the Russia-Ukraine border.

Ukrainian drones hit one Russian oil refinery after another
Ukraine faces a challenging problem: how to stop a resurgent Moscow in its tracks long enough to rotate the troops, resupply, and fortify. Part of the answer is playing out right now in the skies over Russia. Over the past two weeks, at least dozens of Ukrainian drones reportedly struck

Later, the authorities claimed that three people were hospitalized following the attack on Alabuga.

The Washington Post reported in August 2023, citing leaked documents, that Russia was setting up a production line in Tatarstan aiming to build 6,000 attack drones by the summer of 2025.

The manufacturing plans entailed an expansion in the scale of production of a Russian version of Iranian Shahed drones, which would improve on"Iran's dated manufacturing techniques."

The documents revealed that the production facilities were at the Alabuga special economic zone, the same location of the alleged drone strike on April 2.

Kyiv has intensified its efforts to ramp up domestic production of drones, a critical tool on the battlefield, aiming to manufacture 1 million drones this year.

Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said on April 1 that Ukraine has domestically-produced attack drones capable of flying over 1,000 kilometers.

Portrait of the Invader: 2 years of Russian soldiering in Ukraine
In two years of total war, Moscow has tried every trick to keep the death march going. It held a draft, expanded state-sponsored mercenary companies, recruited convicted prisoners, integrated proxies from occupied Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, and forcibly conscripted Ukrainians in occupied territor…
Let’s see how far we can go?
We’ve been amazed by your support. We’ve reached our initial goal of finding 1,000 new paying members. We still have till the end of our birthday campaign — with more support, we can do even more good journalism. Over 13,000 people are standing behind us. Can we count on you, too?
Show us support this birthday month
Become a member
visa masterCard americanExpress

News Feed

4:06 PM

Politico lists Yermak, Putin among Europe's most influential people.

Politico presented on Dec. 10 its end-of-the-year list of the most influential people in Europe, with President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak and Russian President Vladimir Putin among the finalists for the "dreamers" and "doers" categories, respectively.
MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.