Ukraine's Calling Cards in Russia's Interior

"[At least two production lines had been assembled in Yelabuga, and Moscow had managed to establish independent production of drones]."

"More spare parts and components are now coming from other countries, so it is not all about Iran."

"Moscow's goal is to reach a full, closed production cycle of such unmanned aerial vehicles in Russia by 2026."

Deputy Head of Ukraine's Military Intelligence, Vadym Skibitsky 

"It is more than 1,000 kilometers from the border with Ukraine, and the Russians saw that this was a big problem."

"It turned out that this production facility in Tatarstan, in which they invested a lot of money, is not rare." 

"Weapons are reaching there, and air defense will not save them. I think this is just the beginning."

Oleksandr Kovalenko, military analyst, co-founder, Information Resistance project

Attack on the oil refinery In Russia's Nizhnekamsk. (local Telegram channels)

One of Russia's largest oil refineries and a drone factory located in the Russian province of Tatarstan were attacked by Ukrainian drones in what seems to be the deepest strike yet by Kyiv within Russian territory. The facilities are located near the cities of Yelabuga and Nizhnekamsk, some 1,200 kilometres east of Ukraine. Russian regional authorities reported that a dozen people were injured.

Russian refineries and oil terminals have become priority targets in recent months of Ukrainian drone attacks. Reflecting stepped-up assaults on Russian territory. Which seems a fair balance of events. Given that Moscow feels entirely entitled to attack and occupy Ukrainian sovereign territory, declaring them henceforth to be part of the Russian Federation. At the same time Vladimir Putin seems to feel that Russian territory is sacrosanct, and Kyiv is engaging in forbidden moves attacking inside Russian territory.

Drone developers in Ukraine have been extending the range of their weapons' productions. Resulting in Kyiv compensating for its battlefield disadvantage in troops and weapons supplies. The unmanned vehicles represent for the weapons-strapped Ukraine military an affordable option, while awaiting promised  additional U.S. military aid which has created a critical shortage in its delay.

The 1,000-km front line has seen relatively little activity from either side, as both Russia and Ukraine find themselves at a stalemate; both are short on troop replacement. While Moscow has trumpeted that it has gained new conscripts as a result of public outrage over what it claims is Ukraine's deadly terrorist assault last month on a Moscow concert hall that killed 140  people, President Zelenskyy has signed a bill lowering the conscription age from 27 to 25, in the hope of filling at least part of the military's request for 500,000 new recruits.

According to Ukrainian security and intelligence officials a "drone-production site" in Yelabuga was targeted with the use of Ukrainian-produced long-range drones. Near Yelabuga a factory engaged in building Iranian-designed Shahed exploding drones was the surprise recipient of Ukraine's very effective calling cards. An overnight attack on the Nizhnekamsk oil factory was also in the cards, according to Ukrainian officials.

 

UAV attack in Tatarstan, Russia on April 2, 2024. (screenshot from a video on social media)