What’s New
Ukrainian military intelligence said a Russian Shahed-136 drone warehouse became engulfed in a “devastating” fire that destroyed $16 million worth of drone parts, according to a Telegram post by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (GUR).
The Yelabuga drone factory, located more than 800 miles from the border with Ukraine in Russia’s Alabuga Special Economic Zone, produces Shahed drones for Moscow’s military, which are Iranian kamikaze drones.
A warehouse with parts for Shahed drones worth $16 million was destroyed in Alabuga, Russia – Ukrainian Defense Intelligence.The premises contained 65 fuselages of attack drones, as well as engines, navigation systems, and thermal imaging cameras for the production of 400… pic.twitter.com/aKljowHt5g
— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) December 23, 2024
Newsweek reached out to the Ukrainian and Russian defense ministries for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Ukraine’s strike on the warehouse is significant because the destruction of $16 million worth of drone parts comes as Moscow faces an equipment shortage that hit a two-year high in terms of losses in November.
The strike is also one of many hits Kyiv has conducted on Russia’s ammunition storage and arms production sites as it seeks to weaken Moscow’s ability to continue fighting.
What to Know
Ukraine noted that the warehouse contained “65 fuselages of attack drones, as well as engines, navigation systems, and thermal imaging cameras for the production of 400 units of the Shahed-136” and wrote that “everything burned down.” Kyiv also described the fire as “mysterious,” not giving further details.
Launched in July of last year, the Yelabuga drone factory has produced Albatross reconnaissance drones in addition to Russian equivalents of Shahed drones, and Ukraine previously struck the factory in April, as reported by the Kyiv Independent.
Russia has repeatedly used Iranian-made Shahed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in its strikes throughout its war with Ukraine and began attaching devices to them to increase the impact of their hits in November. Moscow added thermobaric warheads to the kamikaze drones, which were also equipped with Russian Kometa navigation units and Chinese control boards.
The use of Shahed drones has increased the risks of civilian casualties for both Moscow and Kyiv, and Andrii Kovalenko, the head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, previously said that the drones posed a challenge for Ukraine’s air defenses. Iran has previously denied allegations of sending ballistic missiles and drones to Russia.
What People Are Saying
In its post, the GUR wrote: “The mysterious devastating fire was another blow to the military-industrial complex of terrorist Russia.”
They added: “The Ukrainian Defense Ministry’s General Directorate of Military Intelligence reminds that there will be fair retribution for every war crime committed against the Ukrainian people.”
What Happens Next
Russia may need to utilize other drones or ballistic missiles in place of Shahed drones while it rebuilds the stockpile of drone parts destroyed in the fire.
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