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Ukrainian drones strike Russian defense plant in Izhevsk, killing three and injuring dozens
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On Tuesday morning, Ukrainian drones struck the Russian city of Izhevsk, over 800 miles from the two countries’ border. The attack killed three people and injured dozens, according to local officials. Ukrainian sources report that the target was the Kupol plant, which produces missile systems and drones for the Russian military. Here’s what we know so far about the attack.
On the morning of July 1, Ukrainian drones attacked Izhevsk, a Russian city located roughly 1,300 kilometers (over 800 miles) from the Ukrainian border. The strike occurred shortly before 9:00 a.m. Moscow time. At 8:50 a.m., Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) imposed temporary restrictions on arrivals and departures at the local airport. The restrictions were lifted shortly after noon.
One of the city’s industrial facilities was hit in the attack, sparking a fire, Governor Alexander Brechalov said on Telegram. He did not specify which facility was targeted. Brechalov reported that three people were killed and 35 others were hospitalized — 10 of them in serious condition. One child was among the injured and is in moderate condition, according to Mash, a Telegram channel close to Russian security agencies. Rescue crews are still clearing the rubble, Baza reported.
Brechalov said he had reported the incident to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who, according to the governor, offered condolences to the victims’ families and wished the injured a speedy recovery. As of the time of publication, Putin had not publicly commented on the attack.
The Ukrainian Telegram channel Exilenova+ reported that the target was the Kupol Electromechanical Plant in Izhevsk. A local resident said the same in a video published by Astra. In one video taken by an eyewitness, the name “Kupol” is visible on a damaged building. A user on X geolocated another video shot just a few hundred meters from one of Kupol’s production sites.
Kupol is “one of the main producers of Tor missile systems and Garpiya-A1 strike drones for the Russian military,” according to Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation. According to Reuters, Kupol assembles missile systems and drones using Chinese-made engines and components. The plant is currently under E.U. and U.S. sanctions, The Bell noted.
Sources cited by RBC-Ukraine and Hromadske said the attack on Kupol was carried out by Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU). According to them, long-range drones targeted the plant’s production and storage facilities, with at least two confirmed strikes on its buildings. Another source told Suspilne that the plant fulfills contracts for Russia’s Defense Ministry and specializes in manufacturing Tor and Osa missile systems, as well as developing Garpiya strike drones.
According to Mezha.Media, a project of Ukrainska Pravda, Ukrainian forces used modernized “Liutyi” kamikaze drones in the attack. Footage of one of the drones in flight shows it lacks landing gear, which, as journalists noted, suggests it may have been launched from a stationary catapult or a specialized mobile platform, rather than from a road.
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This is at least the second known Ukrainian drone strike on the Udmurt Republic; the first occurred in November 2024.
As of the time of publication, Ukraine’s Security Service and General Staff had not commented on the attack.
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