Ukraine Drones Strike Electronics Plant Behind Russian Lines

Ukraine launched a drone attack on a factory that makes components for Russia's military in Bryansk.

Since Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, both Russia and Ukraine have increasingly depended on drones to monitor enemy movements, direct weapons, and carry out strikes.

The pro-Kremlin Shot Telegram channel said enemy drones were destroyed on approach to the facility, one of the largest microelectronics plants. There were no injuries or serious damage, according to the pro-Russian social media post.

Newsweek has contacted the Russian Defense Ministry for comment.

A homemade prototype drone is tested with fake RPG -7 grenade in a field outside the city on November 9, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Ukraine launched a drone attack on a factory that makes components... Paula Bronstein

The wreckage of the downed drone slightly damaged the facility's roof and fence.

The attack on the Kremniy EL plant, which employs almost 2,000 people, was carried out on Wednesday at about 02:30 a.m. The drones flew 10 minutes apart.

Five drones were intercepted over Bryansk Oblast in Russia overnight, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

In total, 35 Ukrainian drones were shot down over the Bryansk, Kursk, Rostov, Ryazan, and Kaluga regions and the Astrakhan region and the Krasnodar Territory this night and morning, according to the Russian defense ministry.

Alexander Bogomaz, the governor of Bryansk Oblast, said in a post on Telegram: "Over the territory of the Bryansk region, the air defense forces of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation detected and destroyed an aircraft-type UAV.

"There were no casualties or destruction. Operational and emergency services are working on the spot."

Ukraine's air force reported that Russia launched 50 drones in an overnight attack. They successfully intercepted 29 of the drones but lost track of 18, possibly due to electronic warfare, and one drone was heading towards areas controlled by Russian forces.

Federico Borsari, resident fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA), told Newsweek: "Small, fast drones with integrated targeting capabilities are ideal to counter incoming hostile drones thanks to their maneuverability—which to an extent comes closer to that of missiles—and lower cost compared to traditional rocket-type interceptors."

The facility manufactures advanced radar systems for air defense, aircraft, and naval vessels and components for Russia's Pantsir air defense systems and Iskander missile complexes, according to pro-Ukrainian outlet United 24 Media.

The Ukrainian publication Defense Express said that since 2010, the plant has received $5.5 million for development and that by 2014, it had an eight-fold increase in production over the previous decade and a half.

The Astra Telegram channel reported that 94 percent of the factory's output in 2017 was produced for the Russian Defense Ministry's needs.

The latest strike comes after the same facility was targeted in another Ukrainian drone strike earlier this year, in October. The factory caught fire following the attack.

"Kremniy is one of the largest microelectronics enterprises in Russia that produces semiconductor devices, integrated circuits, and power modules," posted Ukrainian internal affairs adviser Anton Gerashchenko on X (formerly Twitter) next to a clip of the flames. "It completes a large number of orders from the Russian defense ministry," he wrote.

Meanwhile, new advanced U.S. drone systems have been hailed as "game changers" after being successfully tested on the front lines of the war in Ukraine.

IronNet, the AI-based collective defense cybersecurity company, and Asterion Systems, a leader in counter-unmanned air system (UAS) technology, have collaborated to create a defense system capable of protecting entire countries.