Kiev, Ukraine (AP) — Long-range Ukrainian drones and missiles have hit Russia’s major ammunition factories, major oil terminals and key weapons depots behind the frontline, said Monday as the Ukrainian president and military put pressure on Moscow’s military logistics.
Ukrainian general staff said they attacked the Sverdrov ammunition factory in the Nizhny Novgorod region of western Russia overnight, causing multiple explosions and fires. The plant said it supplies the Russian troops with aviation and artillery weapons, air bombs, anti-aircraft and anti-tank ammunition.
Ukraine also attacked Crimea’s oil terminals, sparking flames and struck the ammunition depot of Russia’s 18th General Army, general staff said.
Russian authorities have confirmed that Ukraine’s major drone attacks over 14 regions of Russia, as well as the surroundings of Crimea’s annexed Ukrainian Peninsula and the Black Sea and Azov Sea. However, they gave little detail other than claiming that the air defense had fired down 251 Ukrainian drones. war It started over 3 years ago.
Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod region, Gleb Nikitin said air defenses prevented the attacks in local industrial zones where the facilities were not damaged to prevent attacks by 20 Ukrainians by drones in local industrial zones, including ammunition factories.
Long distances in Ukraine Attacks on refineries and other oil facilities In August, the pump contributed to Russia’s fuel shortage.
Ukraine’s own weapons production will grow
Improvements to domestically produced weaponsdrones in particular are one of the main goals of Ukrainian authorities as they strive to counter Russian invasions and reach Russia deeply on strikes that put military, political and social pressure on President Vladimir Putin.
While the Russian national economy and the army are far larger than the Ukrainian people, Kiev is largely restricting the Russian battlefield from gaining slow and costly progress throughout the Ukrainian countryside. Cutting-edge drone technology It will partially compensate for the shortage of soldiers.
Ukraine quickly developed its defence manufacturing capabilities as it is uncertain how Western military support could depend on it to stop Russian invasions. Already Sharing your drone expertise It discusses possible technology and production cooperation with European countries and the United States.
Ukrainian officials suggest they want to supply the US with Tomahawk cruise missiles so that more Russian assets in the rear can be targeted. Meanwhile, Ukraine is increasingly using long-range drones developed within the country, Ukraine’s Voldy Mirzelensky said on Monday, expecting Ukraine to expand its capabilities if it can secure funds from overseas.
He also showed that Ukraine used its own missiles for strikes on Russian soil.
“The main thing to understand is that these days Ukraine uses not only drones but Ukrainian weapons,” Zelensky said at a press conference with Kiev’s Dutch Prime Minister Dick Shuoff.
“We expect greater capabilities, but they depend on financial resources,” he said.
Many Ukrainian weapons in front are produced domestically
Ukrainian mushroom defense industry may begin exporting surplus weapons production by the end of the year, helping to use revenue to buy sophisticated systems, he said on Monday.
By the end of this year, Ukraine wants to provide at least half the weapons the military needs at the forefront, Zelensky told Kiev’s Defense Industry Forum.
“Already in front of you, over 40% of the weapons used are weapons produced in Ukraine or Ukraine,” Zelenskyy said in his speech.
According to Ukrainian leaders, Ukraine produced and delivered 2.4 million shells to the frontline last year.
Ukraine currently produces 40 Vodana vending gun systems a month, Zelensky said. By comparison, production rate in April 2024 was 10 units a month.
“It’s time to start exporting Ukrainian weapons. This is the type of weapon we have in our surplus and therefore we can export. So we have the funds for the type of weapons that are particularly necessary for defense.”
He said Ukraine already has a contract to begin exports to Europe, the US and the Middle East, and purchases could begin by the end of this year.
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Hannah Al Hylova in Kiev, Ukraine, contributed.
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