Ukrainian drones struck industrial and military facilities in Russia’s republic of Tatarstan, approximately 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) from the Ukrainian border, according to reports from Russian officials and Ukrainian sources.
The attacks occurred overnight on Sunday. According to the regional government in Tatarstan, the drone strikes targeted “industrial enterprises” but were neutralized without causing injuries or damage. However, videos circulated online showed explosions near the Gorbunov Kazan Aviation Plant, which produces and maintains Russia’s long-range bombers, including the Tu-160.
🇺🇦🇷🇺🚨At night of 20/01/2025, After a drone attack, a fire broke out at the Kazan Aircraft Plant, where Russian Tu-160 and Tu-22M3 bombers are manufactured and repaired pic.twitter.com/sUyNO9ExjN
— Authentic World Updates (@worldupdates245) January 20, 2025
“Lighting up the night sky in Russia’s Kazan region, burning Russian aircraft manufacturing facilities for the production and repair of the long range strategic bombers that regularly rain missiles on the people of Ukraine,” the Ukrainian Center for Strategic Communication said.
According to the government organization, as explosions rocked Kazan, Ukrainian munitions also struck a helicopter factory in the city and a fuel depot in Bryansk Oblast, just 25 miles inside southern Russia from the Ukrainian border.
Russia’s Defense Ministry reported shooting down 31 drones targeting six regions overnight. In the Kaluga region near Moscow, debris from a downed drone caused a fire at an industrial site, which was quickly extinguished.
At least two regional airports temporarily suspended flights due to the incidents.
The recent strikes were part of a larger wave of Ukrainian attacks targeting Russian infrastructure. In recent months, Ukrainian drones have struck fuel depots and military sites deep inside Russia. Just last January 8, drones struck a fuel storage facility near the Engels Air Force Base in Saratov.
