Kyiv Confirms Successful Drone Strike on Russian Aircraft Factory in Smolensk

Kyiv Post sources in the Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) of the Ministry of Defense confirmed the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) attack on the aircraft factory in the Smolensk region of Russia was a preplanned attack conducted by the agency, not just helpful mistakes made by Kremlin forces.

“The targets were hit; that was the HUR operation,” the spokesperson remarked.

Russian Telegram channels reported that the attempted attack took place in the morning of Nov. 26, with at least two aircraft-type drones attacking the plant.

The Russians announced that all the UAVs had been shot down. They claim that the first drone was allegedly shot down around 9:00 a.m. in the Zadniprovsky district of Smolensk. And half an hour later, another drone was spotted over the city.

In Russian social networks, it is indicated that the drone was allegedly suppressed by the forces of electronic warfare. At the same time, as the Russians post, as a result of the “shooting,” the UAV fell onto the roof of one of the plant’s workshops and exploded.

As a result, the roof itself and the floor beam were damaged. There is currently no information about the victims.

On Sunday, the Ukrainian mass media, citing sources in the HUR, reported that on the night of Nov. 26, Ukrainian intelligence attacked Russian regions in response to the mass raid of Shakheds on Kyiv the day before.

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Intelligence indicated that the UAV attack on Russia began at 3:30 a.m. and ended at 9:20 a.m. During the Ukrainian air strike, about 35 drones were launched at targets in Moscow and the region, as well as in Tula and Smolensk.

The HUR said that all targets attacked are military or related to military production.

HUR says their actions are “purely symmetrical and serve as a sign that the Russian Federation should consider the consequences. The war must be waged with the military in the combat zones,” commented the HUR, assuring that strikes on civilians and outside the combat zone will not go unanswered.

This wasn’t the first attack on the Smolensk aircraft factory, where the Kh-59 missiles were produced. The previous strike took place on Oct. 1.

“As a result of the attack on the Smolensk aircraft factory, the production process of Kh-59 missiles of various modifications was disrupted,” the HUR reported at the time.

During the October attack, as claimed by Ukrainian intelligence, three of the four UAVs hit the target, causing significant damage to the production facilities of the military enterprise.

Andriy Yusov, a military intelligence representative, affirmed in a conversation with Kyiv Post that even minor damage to such a complex production mechanism creates problems for Russia.

“Even the slightest damage to the production base usually causes serious delays, schedule interruption, and inability to make deliveries. production and many other problems,” Yusov said.