05/12/2026
Today, there are important developments from the Russian Federation.
Here, Ukraine has shifted its focus from Russia’s oil industry and started targeting Russia’s defense industrial base. Waves of Ukrainian drones crashing into Russian factories producing explosives themselves only amplified the fireworks display, dealing irreparable strategic damage to Russia’s military supply chain.
Recently, Ukraine carried out a significant strike targeting Russia’s explosives production capacity at the Sverdlov plant in Dzerzhinsk. Two Lyuti drones hit separate workshops responsible for producing TNT, RDX, and HMX explosive products, as well as assembling ammunition for Russian artillery systems. Despite being protected by three Pantsir air defense systems positioned on heights overlooking the plant, all Ukrainian drones successfully reached their targets, flying low to avoid radar detection. The plant is Russia’s primary manufacturer of high explosives, producing up to six thousand metric tons of explosives annually.
As part of the big campaign to degrade Russia’s ability to produce explosives, Ukraine has also targeted chemical plants, such as the Apatit chemical plant in Cherepovets. Ukrainian drones hit a high-pressure sulfuric acid pipeline, damaging the Ammonia three complex, which produces nitrogen-based products. In a follow-up strike on the same plant, fires were observed at two of its three production units, impairing the ammonia storage infrastructure. The site accounts for approximately ten percent of Russia’s ammonia output, a critical base component for all conventional explosives, such as in artillery shells, missiles, bombs, and mines. Additionally, Ukrainian drones targeted the Phos-Agro chemical plant in Cherepovets, as confirmed by geolocated footage. Being one of Russia’s largest fertilizer producers, the facility has an annual capacity exceeding eight million tons and contributes roughly another ten percent of the country’s ammonia production, bringing the total destroyed to over a fifth. In another operation, Ukrainian Liutyi kamikaze UAV struck a petrochemical plant in Sterlitamak, approximately 1,400 kilometers from Ukraine. This facility produces aviation fuel, kerosene additives, and the country’s only synthetic rubber. It is responsible for up to twenty-five percent of Russia’s isoprene rubber production, a material widely used in manufacturing rubber tracks for tanks and other heavy military vehicles.
Beyond chemical production, Ukraine is targeting the factories that manufacture advanced technical components for Russia’s weapons systems. One notable strike among others hit the Vniir Progress plant in Cheboksary. The attack involved a Flamingo cruise missile in coordination with Lyutyi drones, with the drones exhausting Russian air defenses so that the missile could reach the target, damaging one of the plant’s buildings and the area near its main entrance. This is a key factory, which produces components designed to protect navigation systems from electronic warfare with adaptive antenna arrays. These modules are used in glide bombs, cruise missiles, and Shahed drones. In a separate operation, Ukrainian forces struck the Strela electromechanical plant in Suzemka. The attack destroyed two workshops and ignited a fire that covered approximately two hundred and fifty square meters, causing significant damage. The plant manufactures radar equipment, transformers, and other electronic components used across Russia’s defense, aerospace, and broader electronics industries.
After the largest chemical plants and component factories had been destroyed, Ukraine next focused on facilities that produce the finished military systems themselves. One such strike targeted the Atlant Aero drone production plant in Taganrog, where Neptune missiles hit the facility. A large fire was observed after the strike, which destroyed two buildings and damaged four more, along with a container yard storing equipment. The plant is involved in producing Molniya drones, Orion reconnaissance drones, and other parts associated with Russian UAV and space technology development. In a separate strike in the same city, Ukrainian forces hit another UAV production site along with the Beriev aircraft plant. The attack damaged drone production workshops and infrastructure connected to the aircraft modernization. The Plant specializes in the development, serial production, repair, and modernization of amphibious aircraft used to counter Ukrainian naval drones and specialized aviation systems, such as Awacs platforms and Tu-ninety-five strategic bombers, used to launch waves of cruise missiles at Ukrainian cities.