Ukraine Strikes Russian Aircraft Factory, Oil Depot Hit Again, Says Kyiv

Ukraine’s forces have again struck an oil depot that services the military in western Russia’s Voronezh Oblast and an aviation factory in Smolensk Oblast further north, Ukraine said today.

The General Staff said that drones had struck the Liskinskaya oil depot for a second time in the space of a week, and that drone units and special forces had coordinated the attack on “infrastructure of the Smolensk Aviation Plant” where “combat aircraft are being modernised and manufactured.”

In Smolensk Oblast, local authorities and witnesses reported strikes on several targets, including an aviation plant in Smolensk city.

According to the Shot Telegram channel, one of the drones targeted an aircraft factory in the Zadneprovsky district of Smolensk. This factory produces Su-25 attack planes as well as Kh-55 and Kh-59 cruise missiles, which have been widely used in strikes on Ukraine. Around 10 explosions were heard.

Footage from the scene, obtained by the ASTRA Telegram channel, showed a fire breaking out at the facility after one of the drones hit, although the local emergency services department has not confirmed the fire.

In Yartsevo, an oil refinery was also named as a target by several Russian Telegram channels, though no visual evidence of damage has surfaced so far.

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The strikes in Smolensk city damaged two residential buildings. One drone crashed into a high-rise building, sparking a fire. Another drone’s debris fell on the roof of another residential house, breaking windows in both locations.

Despite the destruction, the governor of Smolensk Oblast, Vasily Anokhin, said there were no casualties.

The Russian Ministry of Defense reported intercepting 10 drones over Smolensk Oblast and a total of 55 drones across other parts of Russia.

The drone threat led to temporary restrictions at airports in Kazan and Ulyanovsk, where flight arrivals and departures were paused to ensure safety, according to the Federal Air Transport Agency.

The Smolensk Aircraft Factory is known for producing missiles and training aircraft for Russian pilots. It is also on the sanctions lists of several countries, including the US, Canada and countries of the EU.

This is not the first drone attack in the region. Earlier in January, Ukrainian drones reportedly targeted another key enterprise, Avangard Smolensk, which manufactures components for missiles and armored vehicles.