Drones attacked Yelabuga in Tatarstan: factory producing "shaheds" was hit. VIDEO
In the evening of 25 May, unidentified drones attacked Yelabuga in Tatarstan. Local residents reported numerous explosions.
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to Russian telegram channels.
It is noted that the explosions occurred near a plant that produces "Shahed" drones. The company also manufactures "Albatross" reconnaissance drones.
The city itself is located about 1,200 kilometres from the border with Ukraine.
A series of explosions in the sky began at around 22:40. Prior to that, the airport in Nizhnekamsk had already been closed, and no planes were arriving or departing.
Footage from Yelabuga that night was also shared online. The video shows the work of air defence forces, explosions, and flashes in the sky and drone flights.
What is known about the plant that was attacked
The drone factory in Yelabuga (Tatarstan) is a Russian military plant built in 2023 in the "Alabuga" Special Economic Zone for large-scale production of the Russian version of the Iranian "Shahed 136" UAV, called "Geranium-2", for use in the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
In February 2023, The Wall Street Journal reported that a drone manufacturing plant based on Iranian technology with a capacity of 6,000 drones per year was being built in the "Alabuga" Special Economic Zone in Yelabuga. The publication reported that the plant would produce an improved model of the "Shahed 136" drone with a new engine.
On 2 April 2024, at 5:45 a.m. Moscow time, unknown drones struck at the alleged location of the plant. Footage of an unidentified UAV hitting the dormitory building of the "Alabuga" Polytechnic was leaked online. There was information about the strike on the plant's workshops. After the strike, representatives of the "Alabuga" SEZ confirmed the strikes in their telegram channel.
The Wall Street Journal article, satellite imagery, and the Ukrainian UAV strike indirectly confirm the location of the military drone factory in the area.
Among the victims were citizens of nine countries - Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Congo, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Sudan. Earlier it became known that foreigners from the world's poorest countries were actively lured to the plant.
