Ukrainian drones targeted multiple military facilities in Russia overnight on June 11, including the Tambov Gunpowder Plant, the General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces reported. The attack caused a fire at the plant, a major Russian producer of explosives for small arms, artillery, and rocket systems.
Local residents near the facility reported hearing explosions and shared videos showing a large blaze in the area, according to Russian independent media outlet Astra.
The General Staff stated that the strike was part of a larger operation aimed at disrupting Russia’s ability to produce explosives and ammunition used in its ongoing war against Ukraine. The Tambov facility has been targeted several times since November 2023, and U.S. sanctions were imposed on it that same year.
The Tambov Oblast, located southeast of Moscow, is hundreds of kilometers from Ukraine and does not share a direct border with it. Russian state news agency TASS confirmed the drone attack but did not mention the fire at the gunpowder plant. Tambov Oblast Governor Maxim Egorov reported that emergency services had extinguished the fire, and there were no casualties, though he did not specify the fire’s location.
Drone Strikes Hit Additional Military Sites
In addition to the Tambov strike, Ukrainian drones also targeted Russian military sites in Kursk and Voronezh Oblasts. The ammunition depot of Russia’s 106th Airborne Division in Kursk Oblast and a depot at Buturlinovka airfield in Voronezh Oblast were both hit. The extent of the damage from these attacks is still being assessed, according to the General Staff.
“The Defense Forces continue to take all measures to undermine the military and economic potential of the Russian occupiers and force Russia to stop its armed aggression against Ukraine,” the statement from Ukraine’s military added.
Ukraine has increased its use of long-range drone strikes in recent weeks, targeting Russian air bases and arms production facilities in an effort to disrupt Moscow’s war efforts, especially ahead of an anticipated Russian summer offensive.
