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Ukrainian drone hits gunpowder plant in Russia, source says

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Ukrainian drone hits gunpowder plant in Russia, source says
The footage showing alleged attack on the Tambov gunpowder plant in the Russian town of Kotovsk on July 4, 2024. (Screenshot of the video Znak city)

Ukrainian "kamikaze" drones operated by Ukraine's military intelligence attacked a gunpowder plant in the town of Kotovsk in Russia's Tambov Oblast, a military intelligence source told the Kyiv Independent.

According to the source, the facility was struck with a drone. The scale of damage is being specified.

Russian Telegram channels shared a video purporting to show smoke rising after an alleged explosion on the territory of the plant.

Maksim Yegorov, the Tambov Oblast governor, claimed that Russian air defenses shot down all two drones. No casualties or damages were reported.

The Tambov gunpowder plant is one of the largest industrial facilities in Russia that manufactures ammunition for the army, including gunpowder for small arms cartridges.

Its production has been reportedly increased by a third since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The plant was put on the U.S. sanction list in 2023.

Ukrainian drones struck the plant this January and in last November.

Ukrainian forces regularly conduct drone strikes and sabotage acts on Russian territory, targeting military assets, oil refineries, and industrial facilities.

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Kateryna Denisova

Politics Reporter

Kateryna Denisova is the reporter for the Kyiv Independent, specializing in Ukrainian politics. Based in Kyiv, she focuses on domestic affairs, parliament, social and war-related issues. Kateryna began her career in journalism in 2020 and holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. She also studied at journalism schools in the Czech Republic and Germany.

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