Several individuals were killed and numerous others injured in a Ukrainian drone strike targeting an industrial site in Izhevsk, as reported by Russian officials early Tuesday morning.
Igor Brechalov, the head of Udmurtia, where Izhevsk is situated, stated that a specific “enterprise” was struck in the city, located approximately 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
Brechalov also shared footage from the scene but did not disclose the name of the facility. Initially, he mentioned unspecified “casualties” but later confirmed that there were both “fatalities and serious injuries.”
Andriy Kovalenko, who leads Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, asserted that the target was the Izhevsk Electromechanical Plant Kupol, alleging it manufactures kamikaze drones for the Russian forces.
The independent news outlet Astra on Telegram, which had reported a prior Ukrainian drone strike on Kupol in November, claimed to have geolocated the plant based on videos of the incident shared online.
Eyewitness footage circulating on social media depicted flames and dense smoke issuing from a multi-story structure, with one bystander heard stating, “It’s likely Kupol.”
The Telegram channel Baza, which has ties to Russian security services, reported that three individuals were killed and at least 24 were injured, although this information has not been officially confirmed.
In December 2023, the United States imposed sanctions on Kupol and its subcontractors, following similar actions by the European Union the year prior.
Russia’s Defense Ministry did not provide an immediate comment regarding the incident in Izhevsk. It stated that its air defense systems had successfully destroyed or intercepted 60 Ukrainian drones overnight across six southwestern regions of Russia, as well as in the annexed Crimea and the Black and Azov seas.
Additionally, the Kyiv Independent revealed that Russia launched a record 5,337 drones at Ukraine in June, exceeding the previous record of 4,198 set in March.