Ukrainian drones hit Smolensk aviation plant again
On Tuesday, 21st January, Ukrainians conducted a drone attack on Smolensk, a city located about 306 kilometres from the Ukrainian border. The governor of the Smolensk region, Vasily Anokhin, confirmed the information about the strike. Experts from open-source intelligence report that one of the drones struck a workshop belonging to the Smolensk Aviation Plant, where a fire broke out.
According to the Ukrainian service Militarny, several Ukrainian drones were expected to reach Smolensk. According to the Russians, some of them were shot down. However, experts from open-source intelligence, including analysts from the Dnipro OSINT account, suggest that some drones most likely reached one of the workshops of the Smolensk Aviation Plant, where a fire ensued.
Ukrainian drone attack on Smolensk
This is not the first Ukrainian attack on this location. Militarny notes that a similar strike occurred in October 2023. Ukrainian intelligence later revealed that the strike on the Smolensk Aviation Plant, which is part of the Russian state corporation "Tactical Missile Armament," disrupted the production process of Raduga Kh-59 air-to-surface guided missiles. The Russians frequently use these missiles in Ukraine.
It is currently unknown which Ukrainians utilised specific drones. However, it is known that Ukraine has at least several models of drones capable of covering considerable distances. This category includes kamikaze drones "Bóbr," UJ-22 "Airborne" drones, and "Rubaka" drones, among others.
The first-mentioned drones are classified as loitering munitions with a range of up to 1,000 kilometres. Available information indicates that the takeoff weight of "Bóbr" does not exceed several tens of kilograms, and their speed can reach 150-200 kilometres per hour. They were also designed in a canard configuration, enabling a quick change in altitude to evade enemy air defences.
UJ-22 "Airborne" are multi-task unmanned aerial systems. They can reach a maximum speed of 160 kilometres per hour and fly at an altitude of 6,000 metres. Their controlled flight range is 100 kilometres, and autonomous flight is up to 800 kilometres. According to the manufacturer, UKRJET, the UJ-22 drone can operate continuously for 7 hours and performs well even in extreme temperatures (from -40°C to 50°C). It is designed to carry loads weighing up to 20 kilograms.
Another Ukrainian drone with a significant range is the "Rubaka." The range of these drones is about 500 kilometres. The devices can carry an explosive payload weighing from about 2 to 15 kilograms. Depending on the type of payload used, this mass is sufficient, with a precise hit from a kamikaze drone, to destroy, for example, Russian artillery or cause human casualties.
