Ukrainian forces launched a targeted strike on Russia's state-owned Sverdlov Plant overnight on October 6, hitting one of the country's largest producers of explosives and munitions, Ukraine's General Staff confirmed.

The Sverdlov Plant, located in the city of Dzerzhinsk in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast—approximately 800 kilometers (500 miles) from the Ukrainian border—is a key facility in Russia’s military-industrial complex. It produces a wide range of munitions, including aircraft and artillery shells, guided bombs, anti-tank missile warheads, and ammunition for air defense and engineering units. The plant also manufactures warheads for precision-guided missiles and supplies unified inter-service guided munitions to Russian armed forces.

Following the strike, Ukrainian forces reported multiple explosions and a large fire at the site. The extent of the damage is still being verified.

Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed it intercepted 251 Ukrainian drones overnight, including 20 over Nizhny Novgorod Oblast. The plant has been under U.S. and EU sanctions since 2023 for “acquiring goods in support of Russia's war effort,” according to the U.S. State Department.

Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, about 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of Moscow, is a strategic industrial and transport hub linking the European and Asian parts of Russia. Ukraine previously targeted the Sverdlov Plant on October 20, 2024, as part of an ongoing campaign against Russia’s military-industrial infrastructure.

Earlier on the same night, Ukrainian drones struck the Feodosia oil terminal in Russian-occupied Crimea, igniting a massive fire visible from tens of kilometers away, the General Staff reported. Ukrainian forces also targeted an ammunition depot belonging to Russia's 18th Combined Arms Army in Crimea, with damage assessments ongoing.

The strikes mark the latest escalation in Ukraine’s precision targeting of Russia’s military-industrial assets, reflecting Kyiv’s strategic efforts to disrupt weapons production and supply lines. (ILKHA)