Ukrainian officials claim that a drone strike successfully struck and set fire to a Russian factory that was believed to have manufactured missile microchips.
The announcement was made by Kyiv's military intelligence, which noted that the target was on Moscow's outskirts. Video footage was shared on social media, which showed a column of thick smoke rising over the suburb of Lyubertsy, where the Russian factory is located.
Ukrainian Drone Strike
In a statement on Telegram, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that the Russian capital's air defense systems were able to shoot down the drone. He added that based on initial reports, the attack resulted in no casualties or damage. He noted that emergency services were working tirelessly at the incident scene.
However, a representative of Ukraine's Main Directorate of Intelligence, Andriy Yusov, dismissed those remarks and the mayor's version of the incident as lies. As per the New York Post, he claims that Sobyanin lied to everyone because the Russian air defense system did not take anything down.
Yusov also said that the Tomilino Electronic Factory in Lyubertsy, the factory in question, was on fire. He added that this was the same facility Russians used to produce electronics for their missile weapons.
In the last week, several drone strikes had targets in Russian territory, including in the regions of Kursk and Belgorod as well as the city of Pskov, which is located more than 430 miles from Ukraine's border with Russia.
Ukraine does not claim responsibility for any drone attacks within Russia's territory. However, Kyiv officials have been known to express their satisfaction when they do happen publicly.
On the other hand, Ukraine's military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, said that one of the drone attacks, which targeted Pskov, was launched from inside Russia. According to BBC, he did not say whether it was carried out by either Russian or Ukrainian operatives.
Ongoing Russia-Ukraine War
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday said that a Ukrainian-made weapon could hit a target that had a distance of roughly 700 kilometers. Pskov is roughly 700 kilometers away from the Ukrainian border.
Budanov said that they were working from the territory of Russia but did not say what type or how many drones were used in the alleged attacks. He added that the drones specifically targeted the tops of Russia's aircraft, which is the location of the fuel tanks and a critical section of the wing spar.
The situation comes after the United States government praised Ukraine for making so-called "notable progress" with its counteroffensive against Russia. The remarks were made as Moscow claims to have made significant territorial gains in northeast Ukraine.
Russian officials also disapproved of establishing BAE Systems, a UK defense firm, in Ukraine, suggesting it would only become a target for airstrikes. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that any facilities that produce weapons, specifically if they fire weapons at Russia, will become objects of special attention for Moscow's military, said the Telegraph.
