At least three people were killed and dozens of others wounded in a Ukrainian drone strike on an industrial facility in the city of Izhevsk, Russian authorities said early Tuesday.
Igor Brechalov, head of the republic of Udmurtia where Izhevsk is located, said an “enterprise” had been targeted in the city, which lies around 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
Brechalov posted a video from the scene but did not name the facility. He initially reported unspecified “victims,” later saying at least three people were killed and 35 others were injured.
“Ten of them are in critical condition. Our doctors are treating them all,” Brechalov said in a video wearing hospital garbs.
The Kremlin later said that President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences to the families of those killed in the drone attack.
Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, claimed the target was the Izhevsk Electromechanical Plant Kupol, which he said produces kamikaze drones for the Russian military.
The independent Telegram news outlet Astra, which previously reported a Ukrainian drone strike on Kupol in November, said it had geolocated the plant based on videos of the attack shared on social media.
Eyewitness videos circulating online showed flames and thick smoke rising from a multi-story building, with one passerby heard saying, “It’s probably Kupol.”
The Telegram channel Baza, which has links to Russia’s security services, reported that three people were killed and at least 24 wounded. There was no official confirmation of that information.
The United States imposed sanctions on Kupol and its subcontractors in December 2023, a year after the European Union did the same.
Russia’s Defense Ministry did not immediately comment on the attack in Izhevsk. It said its air defenses destroyed or intercepted 60 Ukrainian drones overnight across six southwestern Russian regions, annexed Crimea and the Black and Azov seas.
Meanwhile, the Kyiv Independent reported that Russia launched a record 5,337 drones at Ukraine in June, surpassing the previous high of 4,198 in March.
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