Ukrainian drones intensify assaults on Russian industrial hubs
On 9 and 10 November, Ukrainians launched an attack using dozens of drones on critical Russian chemical plants in Tula, near Moscow, as well as an ammunition depot in Bryansk.
Ukrainians persist with drone attacks on key Russian industrial facilities, despite increasing challenges due to the placement of Russian air defences near these sites.
The attacks are conducted at night, posing greater difficulty for operators of, for example, heavy machine guns (HMGs) and ZU-23-2 guns stationed in the area. Ukrainians utilise various types of drones for these assaults, carrying roughly 20 kilograms of explosives, typically guided by inertial and satellite navigation.
These simple drones are meant to strike predetermined locations, similar to the Iranian Shahed drones used by Russia. They do not pose a significant challenge for modern anti-aircraft systems, but these systems need to be on-site, necessitating deployment deep within the country by both sides.
Ukrainians have developed a range of such drones with operational ranges below and above 1,000 kilometres, with the most notable being "Beaver," UJ-22 "Airborne," and "Rubaka." All are powered by combustion engines with a pusher propeller, designed for low-altitude flight, making them difficult for anti-aircraft radars to detect (radar horizon limits radar range to about 40 kilometres unless they are positioned on a very high mast or in the air).
The downside of these drones is their low speed of about 100 km/h; consequently, variants with a turbojet engine, known as "Palyanytsia," have been developed, serving as an improvised replacement for cruise missiles such as the Storm Shadow. They are much faster, providing the Russians less time to react and are more challenging to shoot down by operators of, for example, an HMG Kord or DSzK.
Target of Ukrainian drone attacks — crucial chemical plants for Russia
Following a series of attacks on Russian refineries and recently on distilleries, Ukrainians have targeted an ammunition depot in Bryansk and the Aleksin Chemical Plant in Tula, near Moscow. The first facility was likely selected following analysis of satellite images or intelligence data, perhaps regarding a large shipment of missiles or rockets due for transport to the front.
Meanwhile, the Aleksin Chemical Plant is involved in producing components essential for manufacturing explosives and gunpowder. It's noteworthy that Tula is also home to the Tula Cartridge Works and NPO Bazalt, responsible for Russian anti-tank weapons (RPG family grenade launchers), mortar and artillery shells, and aerial bombs. An electricity plant or power station in Tula was reportedly also hit.
Several fires ignited at the Aleksin Chemical Plant, emitting orange smoke, followed by another explosion. Reports indicate that 13 drones struck the plant, suggesting significant damage.
This poses a considerable problem for Russia as maintaining continuity in Tula’s military manufacturing will necessitate obtaining precursors for production from other locations or even abroad. The latter option is nearly impossible for Russia, with only Iran, North Korea, and potentially China being viable options. It's already noteworthy that Russia meets 60% of its ammunition needs through supplies from North Korea.
