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Drones Reportedly Strike Russia’s Only Fiber Optic Cable Manufacturer
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![Ivan_khomenko]( "Ivan Khomenko")
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In the early hours of April 5, long-range drones targeted several industrial sites across Russia, including what is reportedly the country’s only fiber optic cable manufacturer, “Optic Fiber Systems”, located in the city of Saransk, Republic of Mordovia.
According to regional Telegram channels and Russian officials, the attack occurred around 2:20 a.m. local time. Residents reported hearing approximately ten explosions, with several occurring at the facility itself. A fire was observed at the main building following the impact.
💥 Overnight drone strikes targeted several Russian regions, including Samara and Mordovia—reportedly hitting a fiber optic plant linked to drone production. pic.twitter.com/gNtnl1vTRx
— UNITED24 Media (@United24media) April 5, 2025
The head of the Republic of Mordovia, Artyom Zdunov, confirmed that one of the region’s enterprises had been attacked by drones. While he did not name the facility, local media, including the Telegram channel Baza, indicated that the strike hit the fiber optic plant in Saransk.
“All necessary emergency services have been deployed to respond to the incident,” Zdunov stated.
Open-source data suggests that “Optic Fiber Systems” operated six production lines capable of manufacturing up to 12,000 kilometers of fiber optic cable per day, totaling approximately 4 million kilometers annually. The facility reportedly used equipment from both Western and Chinese manufacturers, including Austria’s Nextrom and China’s Vacree.
Fiber optic cables produced by the plant are used in a range of applications, including FPV (first-person view) drones, which rely on these systems to maintain functionality in environments where electronic warfare tools are used to disrupt radio signals.
The facility is located roughly 660 kilometers from Ukraine’s border.
In a separate incident on the same night, the governor of Samara region, Vyacheslav Fedorishchev, reported a drone strike on an industrial site in the city of Chapayevsk.
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The attack caused a fire, though no casualties were reported. While the facility was not named, open sources suggest it may be the Promsynthez plant, known for producing over 30,000 tons of explosives annually, or the nearby Polimer plant, which also manufactures explosive materials.
According to Defense Express, Russian sources have expressed concern about the range of the drones used in these strikes, estimating it could exceed 1,500 kilometers, taking into account flight path deviations intended to avoid air defenses.
The Russian Ministry of Defense, meanwhile, claimed to have intercepted a total of 49 drones across various regions, including three over Mordovia and six over Samara region. These claims could not be independently verified.
The full extent of the damage to the Saransk fiber optic plant remains unclear, but any disruption to its operations could impact Russia’s ability to produce drones that rely on secure and interference-resistant communication systems.
Earlier, on March 27, Ukraine’s Air Force conducted an airstrike on the Pogar border checkpoint in Russia’s Bryansk region, which was reportedly used to launch drones targeting Ukrainian territory. According to Ukraine’s General Staff, the strike destroyed military infrastructure and killed up to 40 Russian servicemen.
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