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Ukraine Drone Strikes Hit Kremniy EL and Sverdlov Plants Deep in Russia; Moscow Reports 110 Drones Downed

Oct 19, 2024, 08:43 PM

Ukraine launched a series of overnight drone attacks on October 18-19, targeting military facilities deep inside Russia, including the Kremniy EL microelectronics plant in Bryansk and the Sverdlov explosives factory in Dzerzhinsk, Nizhny Novgorod region, about 400 km east of Moscow. The Kremniy EL plant, which has been attacked multiple times before, produces microelectronics for Russian missile systems such as Iskander ballistic missiles and Pantsir air defense systems. The Sverdlov plant manufactures ammunition, artillery shells, and aerial bombs for the Russian military. Fires were reported at both facilities following explosions. The attacks reached several Russian regions, including Bryansk, Oryol, Lipetsk, Kursk, Tula, Ryazan, Ivanovo, Belgorod, Kaluga, and the Moscow region's Ramenskoye district. Russian authorities reported that air defense systems shot down numerous Ukrainian drones during the night, including over Moscow. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that 110 Ukrainian drones were intercepted across seven regions, with 11 drones reportedly shot down in the Oryol region.