Ukraine strikes Russian drone plant in Taganrog, military confirms
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Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Ukrainian forces struck a Russian defense industry facility in the southern Russian city of Taganrog overnight on April 19, the General Staff confirmed.
The targeted site was the Atlant-Aero plant, which develops and manufactures strike and reconnaissance drones for the Russian military. A fire broke out at the facility following the strike.
According to the General Staff, the company produces Molniya-type drones and components for the Orion UAV, which can carry up to 250 kilograms of payload, including guided aerial bombs and missile systems.
The strike is expected to reduce Russia's capacity to produce drones and weaken its ability to carry out attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure.
In addition, Ukrainian forces hit an ammunition depot near the village of Trudove in occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast, as well as logistics warehouses in the areas of Mangush, Topolyne, and Mariupol in Donetsk Oblast.
Fuel storage tanks were also struck near Novopoltavka in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
The full extent of the damage is still being assessed.
Earlier on April 19, Russian authorities claimed three people were injured in the strikes on Taganrog, but only reported that a commercial site in the city was struck, not specifying if the drone plant was targeted.
"During the missile strike on Taganrog, commercial infrastructure was damaged. A fire broke out in a warehouse area," Rostov Oblast Governor Yuri Slyusar said.
The details could not be immediately verified by the Kyiv Independent.
Ukraine regularly strikes military infrastructure deep inside Russia and the occupied territories in an effort to diminish Moscow's capacity to continue waging war on Ukraine.
Earlier in the night, Ukrainian drones struck a seaport in southern Russia's Krasnodar Krai, social media channels reported.
Smoke was seen rising from a port in Yeysk, Krasnodar Krai, after it was reportedly struck by Ukrainian drones, according to independent Russian outlet Astra.
Krasnodar Krai's Operational Headquarters claimed that drone debris fell "in the area of the seaport" and that the debris of a downed drone shattered the windows of three homes.
