Ukrainian Attack Causes Significant Damage to Russian Izhevsk ‘Kupol’ Factory Specializing in Drone Production
Recent intelligence reports have revealed new details about the effectiveness of Ukraine’s military operations, including satellite images confirming substantial damage to a critical defense enterprise in Russia—the Izhevsk ‘Kupol’ plant. This facility is a vital component of Russia’s military-industrial complex, focusing on the production of air defense systems such as the ‘Torb-M2E’ missile launcher and combat drones like ‘Garpia-A1’. The satellite images, published by the Radio Liberty project ‘Schemes’, show that on July 2nd, Planet Labs satellites recorded extensive destruction of one of the plant’s buildings. The damage includes a completely collapsed roof and other structural impairments across several manufacturing areas. According to sources within regional emergency services, during the attack, two Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles struck the plant, damaging the main structures where drones are assembled. One drone struck a window in workshop №106, and the other damaged the roof of workshop №110. The attack triggered a large fire, leading to the collapse of part of the roof over an area of approximately 1,300 square meters. Tragically, three employees of ‘Kupol’ lost their lives, and 45 others were injured, with 35 hospitalized. Prior reports from ‘Schemes’ indicated that this enterprise produces ‘Shahid’ UAVs, with serial numbers exceeding nine thousand, and continues to manufacture and label these drones with white markings. ‘Kupol’ is a key player in the Russian military complex, producing missile systems and drones for the armed forces, and is part of the ‘Almaz-Antey’ concern. The Ukrainian General Staff confirmed on July 1st that Ukrainian forces had executed a strike against ‘Kupol’ facilities in Izhevsk. The attack was carried out by the Security Service of Ukraine, in coordination with other components of Ukraine’s defense forces, targeting the enemy’s air defense capabilities to weaken their systems. Precise strikes on Building №1 at the facility were verified through satellite imagery and on-site reports.