A military facility known as the Votkinsk Plant in Udmurtia, Russia, was struck by drones during the night of February 21, according to local media reports. The regional head, Alexander Brechalov, confirmed the attack on social media, stating that there were damages and injuries as a result of the strike.
Local health authorities reported that 11 individuals sustained injuries from the drone attack. Eyewitnesses in the area described hearing at least three explosions and seeing smoke rising from a district in the city.
According to the Russian Telegram channel ASTRA, the Votkinsk Plant, which manufactures missiles for systems such as Iskander-M, Topol-M, and Oreshnik, was hit during the nighttime raid. This strategic defense facility is currently under sanctions from several countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Switzerland, Australia, Japan, and Ukraine.
Reports suggest that the attack may have involved Flamingo missiles. Notably, Denis Shtilerman, co-owner and chief designer of the missile manufacturing company Fire Point, had shared a video of missile launches the previous evening, captioned: “Here’s a short video. No context. Context later.” Official Ukrainian military sources have yet to confirm the details of the strike.
Additionally, on Saturday morning, Shtilerman posted an image purportedly showing a glow over the Neftegor gas processing plant in the Samara region. Samara’s governor, Vyacheslav Fedorishchev, acknowledged that strikes occurred on two industrial sites in the area but did not specify which facilities were targeted.
Radio Liberty has noted that it cannot independently verify the reports of damage. Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed to have intercepted 77 Ukrainian drones overnight, detailing the locations of the interceptions across various regions, including Krasnodar, Crimea, Kursk, Rostov, Belgorod, Samara, Saratov, Volgograd, and Voronezh, although Udmurtia was not mentioned in their statement.
Since the onset of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian regions and territories occupied by Russia have frequently experienced drone strikes and shelling. The Ukrainian side emphasizes its efforts to weaken the rear bases of the Russian army to diminish the aggressor’s offensive capabilities.
A drone attack on the Votkinsk Plant in Udmurtia resulted in injuries and damage, with local authorities reporting 11 casualties. The facility, known for missile production, is under international sanctions, and the incident reflects ongoing tensions in the region.