Ukraine has intensified its long-range strike campaign against Russian military and industrial infrastructure, conducting a massive aerial offensive that included the country’s largest-ever drone strike. The operations targeted key military-industrial sites deep within Russian territory, including a rocket fuel plant in the Rostov region and the Progress Rocket Space Center in the Samara region.
Ukrainian Forces Execute Multi-Front Strike Campaign
According to the Ukrainian military, the strike on the Kamensk-Shakhtinsky plant in the Rostov region resulted in the destruction of two workshops, with four others damaged. The facility is reportedly a critical component of Russia’s military-industrial complex, producing solid rocket fuel for multiple-launch rocket systems (MLRS), missile systems, and air-delivered munitions. Satellite imagery shared by Kyiv appears to document the aftermath of the overnight operation.
Simultaneously, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine utilized ground-launched Flamingo cruise missiles to strike the Progress Rocket Space Center in Samara, located approximately 900 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. The facility is a major hub for Russia’s Roscosmos, responsible for the assembly of Soyuz-2 and Soyuz-5 rockets, as well as the production of military satellites. Ukrainian officials stated that the strike caused fires at the site, which also supports the development of the Rassvet broadband network.
Logistical and Economic Infrastructure Targeted
Beyond military manufacturing hubs, Kyiv has expanded its campaign to include major logistics warehouses belonging to the Russian online retailer Wildberries. In a coordinated attack, a drone strike destroyed a massive 250,000-square-metre Wildberries complex in Podolsk, located in the Moscow region.
The campaign against warehouses, which began in July, has stretched from Moscow and St. Petersburg to the Ural Mountains. According to the Ukrainian Defence Ministry, these strikes are part of a strategy to bring home the war
to the Russian population and degrade the nation’s economy. The ministry emphasized the cost-effectiveness of these operations, claiming that for every $1 spent by Ukraine to hit Russian targets, Russia incurs nearly $5 in losses.
Russia Responds with Large-Scale Air Barrage
In retaliation to the ongoing strikes, Russian authorities reported a massive defensive and offensive response. Russian officials stated that they intercepted 822 drones overnight, with 600 directed toward the capital, describing it as the “largest scale” attack seen this year.
The conflict escalated further as Russian forces launched a missile barrage against Kyiv early Sunday, causing fires in at least two districts. Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported that falling debris ignited fires in a northern suburb and an area south of the city center, resulting in at least one injury. Unofficial reports indicated that market stalls were also set ablaze during the assault.
The intensity of the exchange reflects a broader strategy by both nations to cripple the other’s war potential. While Ukraine targets facilities supporting Russia’s satellite internet and long-range weapons production, Russia continues to strike Ukrainian logistics centers, energy infrastructure, and drone assembly workshops. In a separate incident on Saturday, a Russian strike on an apartment block in the town of Marhanets resulted in the death of a three-month-old baby and left 11 others wounded.
Ukraine’s military and economic strikes, coupled with President Zelenskyy’s confirmation of the Flamingo missile use, underscore a shift toward targeting sites deep within Russia to pressure Moscow to end the war. It is important that Russia’s war potential be reduced,
Zelenskyy wrote on X. Peace is needed, and this must be evident in Russia – through concrete damage to specific facilities.
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