'With surgical precision' — Ukrainian drones strike Russian plant 1,300 km away, SBU source says
Editor's note: This story was updated with information shared by an SBU source and the official announcement from Ukraine's General Staff.
Ukrainian drones struck a major Russian military plant in the city of Izhevsk, over 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) from the front in Ukraine, a source in the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) told the Kyiv Independent on July 1.
The SBU source said the agency's long-range drones targeted the Kupol plant in Russia's Udmurt Republic on the morning of July 1. At least two confirmed strikes struck production and storage facilities, starting a fire at the site, according to the source.
The facility produces Tor and Osa air defense systems, as well as Harpy attack drones for the Russian military, and is under international sanctions as part of Russia's defense-industrial complex.
"With surgical precision, the SBU continues to carry out strikes against Russia's military-industrial enterprises contributing to the war effort against Ukraine," the source said.
"Each such operation weakens (Russia's) offensive potential, disrupts weapons production chains, and proves that no part of Russia is a safe zone for its military infrastructure."
Ukraine's General Staff later posted a report of the strike on their official Telegram channel.
Residents of Izhevsk reported explosions early on July 1, while local authorities confirmed a drone strike on a facility in the city. Alexander Brechalov, head of Russia's Udmurt Republic, said emergency services had responded to the attack and that further information would be provided as it became available.
One of the facilities in Izhevsk was targeted by Ukrainian drones — local authorities
— ASTRA (@ASTRA_PRESS) July 1, 2025
“All emergency services have arrived at the scene. I’ll share more details as they come in,” wrote Udmurt Republic head Alexander Brechalov on his Telegram channel.
Earlier, Rosaviatsiya… pic.twitter.com/GSSeSxs4C3
Brechalov later reported casualties, citing deaths and serious injuries, but did not provide specific figures.
Russia's aviation agency temporarily suspended flights in and out of the city's airport following the incident.
Russian Telegram channels reported that no air raid siren was sounded before the drone attack on the Kupol plant. According to Astra, Izhevsk residents also could not access warnings via Telegram due to mobile internet outages, which locals say have persisted for nearly two weeks.
The city was previously targeted on Nov. 17, 2024, when a drone strike damaged a factory known for producing air defense systems, including Tor missile systems and radar components used by the Russian military. That strike marked the first known Ukrainian drone attack on the region during the full-scale war.
Russia's Defense Ministry said its air defenses shot down 60 Ukrainian drones overnight across several regions, including 17 over occupied Crimea, 16 over the Rostov Oblast, and 11 over the Sea of Azov. Others were reportedly downed over the Kursk, Saratov, Belgorod, Voronezh, and Oryol oblasts, as well as the Black Sea.
In occupied Crimea, local Telegram channels reported explosions near the town of Kurortne on the Kerch Peninsula, where Russian S-300/S-400 surface-to-air missile systems and radar stations are allegedly located. A monitoring group cited NASA satellite data showing a large fire in the area overnight, though there was no official confirmation of any damage to the air defense assets.
Local residents reported explosions between 0:20 a.m. and 0:50 a.m. in the cities of Kerch and Feodosia.
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify the claims.
Yuliia Taradiuk
