Ukrainian strike drones have successfully hit a facility in the Russian city of Yelabuga where Shahed-type kamikaze drones are manufactured. The targeted site lies within the Alabuga Special Economic Zone, approximately 1,200 kilometres from Ukraine’s state border. This marks another significant long-range precision strike by Ukrainian forces.
Explosions were first heard around 10:40 p.m. in Yelabuga on 6 May 2025, with residents reporting air defence systems being activated. However, despite the attempted interception, blasts occurred directly in the area of the plant producing Iranian-designed Shahed drones, which Russia has used extensively to terrorise Ukrainian cities.
Videos filmed by locals captured surface-to-air missiles being launched from the site, with bright trails streaking through the night sky. The nearby airport in Nizhnekamsk was temporarily closed during the attack, indicating the scale of the response. Local Russian authorities in Tatarstan have not publicly acknowledged the strike or any damage caused.
This is not the first time this drone plant has come under Ukrainian fire. A previous attack occurred on 23 April 2025, and again, Russian officials remained silent about the aftermath. The plant, which began operations in 2023, has been identified as a critical part of Russia’s drone warfare infrastructure, supplying weaponised drones that are frequently used against civilian targets in Ukraine.
The first strike recorded in this special economic zone happened on 2 April 2024, when Ukrainian drones damaged a two-storey building known as “Geron.” That building was part of accommodation provided for workers and students at the Alabuga Polytech educational centre, constructed in 2022. The repeated strikes suggest a clear Ukrainian strategy to degrade Russia’s drone production capability at its core.
Despite the factory’s deep position inside Russia, far from the frontline, Ukrainian forces have once again demonstrated their ability to hit strategic military targets.
