Ukraine’s General Staff said on Saturday that Kiev carried out drone and missile strikes deep into Russian territory overnight, hitting an industrial site in the Udmurt Republic and a gas processing plant in Samara.The Votkinsk plant in Udmurtia, about 1,400 kilometers from Ukraine, produces intercontinental ballistic missiles and short-range ballistic missiles, including Iskander missiles for use against Ukrainian targets, according to Ukrainian authorities. According to Reuters, local Health Minister Sergei Bagin said in a Telegram post that 11 people were injured as a result of the strike, three of whom were hospitalized. “A facility in the republic was attacked by a drone. The attack caused casualties and damage to property,” regional chief Alexander Brechalov said on Telegram.Unofficial Russian sources, including Telegram channels Astra and SHOT, reported that the attack targeted the Votkinsk Machinery Manufacturing Plant, a large state-owned defense enterprise. Residents reported hearing at least three explosions and observing drones overhead. Videos circulating online showed black smoke billowing from industrial buildings and shattered windows.Russia’s civil aviation agency Rosaviatsiya said operations at Izhevsk’s main airport and other nearby airports were suspended early Saturday.The attack came days after U.S.-brokered peace talks between Moscow and Kiev in Geneva failed to yield any breakthrough. Ukraine is marking nearly four years of Russia’s invasion and the latest round of talks is considered largely unproductive, the Associated Press reported. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russia launched 120 drones and a ballistic missile overnight targeting Ukrainian cities. Ukrainian forces intercepted 106 drones, and missiles and 13 drones hit 11 locations, causing damage and casualties.Ole Kiper, the governor of Ukraine’s Odessa region, said civil and energy infrastructure had been damaged, including a high school and energy company warehouses. Two people were injured during the strike. President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier this week that tens of thousands of Odessa residents were left without heat and running water due to ongoing attacks, and he called on Moscow to take responsibility.In a separate development, Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) claimed that Ukrainian forces were using data from messaging app Telegram for military purposes, endangering Russian forces. The Federal Security Service said it had received “numerous reliable reports” of threats to service members, but did not cite specific evidence.Russian President Vladimir Putin recently signed a law allowing mobile operators to block internet services at the request of Russia’s Federal Security Service. Communications regulator Roskomnadzor also plans to further restrict Telegram, which is still widely used by soldiers, prompting criticism from military blogs.Since the war began, Russia has methodically restricted access to major platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and WhatsApp. Analysts say the measures are aimed at controlling the flow of information and military communications amid the ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
