Ukrainian Drone Strike on Izhevsk Kills 3, Injures 35

As a result of a drone attack on an industrial facility in the city of Izhevsk, three people were killed and 35 hospitalized, according the head of Udmurtia Republic Alexander Brechalov said.

Ten of the injured people are in difficult condition.

Ukrainian drones attacked an industrial site in Izhevsk on the morning of July 1. Brechalov reported that the strike caused several fires at the facility.

Following the attack, the Izhevsk city administration announced the cancellation of all mass events scheduled for July 1-2.

Ukraine struck the city of Izhevsk with An-196 Liutyi type combat drones, which is a replica of the Turkish-made Bayraktar UAV. According to unconfirmed reports, Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) struck the Kupol Electromechanical Plant in Izhevsk. Videos circulating online show residents fleeing from an incoming drone and the subsequent explosion.

Governor Alexander Brechalov reported the incident to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He shared this update via his Telegram channel.

Ukraine has reportedly upgraded its long-range Liutyi drone. According to Voievoda Speaks Telegram channel, the upgraded drone no longer uses landing gear and is launched from a platform. Its radar signature has been reduced, and its aerodynamics improved.

Details

JSC Izhevsk Electromechanical Plant or IEMZ Kupol for short is a Russian military R&D enterprise founded in 1957. It is located in Izhevsk (3 Pesochnaya str). It is part of the state-owned Almaz-Antey holding. According to a Reuters report from September 2024, two sources from a European intelligence agency had told the news agency that IEMZ Kupol had produced more than 2,500 drones of a new type, called Garpiya, from July 2023 to July 2024 which, as per documents seen by Reuters, had Chinese engines and parts. The intelligence sources told Reuters that the drones had been used by Russia during its invasion of Ukraine against military and civilian targets. The company has been sanctioned by the US since December 2023.

Izhevsk or Ijevsk is the capital city of Udmurtia, Russia. It is situated along the Izh River, west of the Ural Mountains in Eastern Europe. It is the 21st-largest city in Russia, and the most populous in Udmurtia, with over 600,000 inhabitants. From 1984 to 1987, the city was called Ustinov (Russian: Усти́нов), named after Soviet Minister of Defence Dmitry Ustinov. The city is a major hub of industry, commerce, politics, culture and education in the Volga Region. It is known for its defense, engineering and metallurgy industries. Izhevsk has the titles of the Armory Capital of Russia and the City of Labor Glory.