Vladimir Putin has suffered a hammerblow after a giant Russian plant making killer drones was struck in a pinpoint overnight missile strike by Ukraine. Three people were reported wounded in the devastating attack on the Atlant Aero plant in Taganrog.
The factory is crucial to Putin’s drone-making capacity. It produces Molniya-1 and Molniya-2 kamikaze and FPV unmanned planes as well as components for the powerful Orion drone, all used in the war against Ukraine. It is also key to Putin’s electronic warfare capability. This is the latest plant to be hit amid an apparent shortage of Russian air defences. Ukraine’s defence forces confirmed the strike on the Atlant Aero drone plant and warehouses with domestically-made Neptune missiles. “The successful work of our military means a reduction in the enemy’s production capacity and hundreds of drones that destroy our cities and villages, killing civilians,” said a statement. The Ukrainian Armed Forces Navy is systematically reducing the enemy’s technological potential, and every such strike is a step towards our safety and victories.”
The blows come in a weekend of misery for Putin when Ukraine hit three Russian warships in a dramatic drone strike on occupied Crimea – and caused more trouble for the Kremlin.
According to the SBU security service, two large landing naval vessels, the Yamal and the Azov – with a combined value of £200 million – were attacked.
Another unidentified military ship was also attacked in a “complex” operation.
A Grachonok class anti-sabotage boat also suffered “probable damage,” said the SBU.
Separately, Ukraine took out an £11million Russian incendiary TOS-1A Solntsepek flamethrower in Zaporizhzhia region.
Ukraine inflicted hits on three major Russian oil facilities igniting infernos at Novokuybyshevsk, Syzran and Kazachya Bay in Crimea.
The Baltic Sea port of Vysotsk, an oil and LNG export hub near the Finnish border, was also struck.
Russia today killed a 16-year-old boy was killed, and at least four others injured in a Russian drone attack on Chernihiv in Ukraine.
