Ukraine attacked a Russian warehouse full of reconnaissance drones on Friday.
A security source said Ukraine targeted the facility with drones and a Neptune missile.
Russia uses its reconnaissance drones to support deep strikes, which have been a problem for Kyiv.
Ukraine says that its forces attacked a Russian warehouse facility full of reconnaissance drones on Friday, hitting it with a homemade missile not often mentioned in disclosures of Kyiv’s combat operations.
The cross-border attack targeted a drone and ammunition storage facility in Russia’s southwestern Rostov region, a Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) source told Business Insider Friday.
The source said that Ukraine first launched drones to overwhelm Russia’s air defenses in the area before striking the site, located near the small village of Chaltyr, with a Neptune missile.
The R-360 Neptune is a subsonic, long-range cruise missile made by the Ukrainian defense manufacturer Luch Design Bureau. It was initially developed as an anti-ship missile, but the weapon has since been modified to strike land targets.
A Neptune missile on display in Kyiv.VoidWanderer / Wikimedia Commons
The modified Neptune missile doesn’t get as much attention as some of the country’s other weapons, especially those provided by Kyiv’s Western partners, but Ukraine has used it to strike high-value Russian targets, including high-end air-defense batteries and, more recently, oil terminals. Friday’s attack appeared to be its first confirmed combat use in quite some time.
Footage of the attack, which was shared with BI, captures the buzz of what appears to be drones. A massive fireball can be seen at one point, followed by a loud blast. Other videos show fires at the site and plumes of smoke. Since ammunition was stored at the facility, secondary explosions may have occurred.
The source said that the strike operation was carried out by the SBU and Ukraine’s navy. “Now these Russian ‘birds’ in the sky will be reduced. Work on military facilities in the enemy’s rear will continue,” they said, according to a translation of their remarks shared with BI. BI was unable to independently verify the details of the operation.
A Russian soldier prepares an Orlan reconnaissance drone for launch at an undisclosed location in August 2022.Russian Defense Ministry Press Service photo via AP
Russia uses its reconnaissance drones, like the Orlan, among other systems, to enable deep strikes on Ukraine by providing valuable intelligence, like targeting data on troop positions and critical equipment, from behind the front lines. Moscow then attacks these locations with guided tactical missiles.
Russia’s reconnaissance strike complex has been a challenge for Ukraine, particularly amid strains on its air defenses.
Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have routinely pressed the US and its NATO allies for more air defenses and interceptor missiles to help defend against Russian strikes. The Ukrainians have also been increasingly looking to interceptor drones as cheap alternatives to costly missiles.
Taking targets out on the ground is another option. The strike on Friday marked Ukraine’s latest cross-border attack in Russia. Earlier this month, Kyiv launched drones at a major port near the city of St. Petersburg, hundreds of miles away, in a bid to disrupt operations at the facility. These strikes have become a problem for Russia.
Read the original article on Business Insider