Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that his country’s forces struck several military and energy infrastructure sites in Russia, including a military factory that supplied components for Russian drones and missiles.

Long-Range Strikes

The Ukrainian strikes hit targets deep inside Russia, part of Kyiv’s efforts to raise the costs of the war for the Kremlin by striking energy facilities and military industries. Ukrainian FP-5 Flamingo long-range missiles hit the facility in Cheboksary, located in the Chuvashiya region more than 900 kilometers from the front line.

Russia’s Defense Ministry said that air defenses downed 326 Ukrainian drones overnight. Oleg Nikolayev, the head of Chuvashiya, confirmed the missile attack but didn’t give details. The Astra online news outlet reported that the Ukrainian strike hit the VNIIR-Progress plant that produces antennas for drones.

Zelenskyy also said Ukrainian forces struck a refinery in Russia’s Samara region, where Gov. Vyacheslav Fedorishchev said that several industrial plants were damaged by drone strikes and three people were injured. The Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) also targeted two oil infrastructure facilities in Russia’s Vladimir region.

The increasingly deep and audacious Ukrainian strikes have defied Russia’s President Vladimir Putin’s claim that Moscow is winning the war, now in its fifth year. Last week, Putin vowed to strengthen Russia’s air defenses after Ukrainian attacks set ablaze an oil terminal in St. Petersburg and also hit a nearby naval base.

Ukraine has secured commitments for additional air defense systems and ammunition following Zelenskyy’s recent visits to London and Tallinn. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tykhyi said Ukraine had found a number of additional air defense systems and munitions but declined to identify the countries that had agreed to provide them.

Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.