Drones Target Russia’s Aviastar Plant That Builds Il-76 Military Transport Aircraft

A drone attack reportedly targeted the Aviastar aircraft manufacturing plant in the Russian city of Ulyanovsk overnight on March 16, temporarily disrupting operations at one of Russia’s key aviation production facilities.

According to the monitoring channel Exilenova+, several unmanned aerial vehicles approached the region during the night. Russian regional authorities confirmed that air defense systems were activated.

Ulyanovsk region governor Alexey Russkikh stated that Russian air defense forces detected and intercepted at least five drones over the region during the night.

According to reports from the local Telegram community, operations at the Aviastar plant and the nearby Ulyanovsk-Vostochny airport were temporarily suspended following the incident. Russian authorities said there were no casualties.

Aviastar is considered one of Russia’s largest aircraft manufacturing facilities and forms part of the United Aircraft Corporation, which operates under the state defense conglomerate Rostec. The plant plays a central role in Russia’s military transport aviation production.

The facility is responsible for assembling Il-76MD-90A military transport aircraft, Il-78M-90A aerial refueling tankers, and servicing heavy An-124 “Ruslan” transport aircraft.

According to Russian industry data cited by regional media, the workforce at Aviastar has expanded in recent years to around 13,000 employees as the company attempts to increase production of military transport aircraft. The plant’s industrial capacity reportedly allows for the production of up to 50 aircraft annually, though actual output remains significantly lower.

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Ulyanovsk lies approximately 1,800 kilometers from Ukraine, making it one of the deeper targets reportedly affected by drone operations since the start of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.

Earlier, strike drones targeted an oil depot in the city of Labinsk in Russia’s Krasnodar region overnight on March 16, triggering a large fire at the facility. According to Russia’s regional operational headquarters, emergency services were deployed after several fuel storage tanks caught fire following what officials described as a drone attack.

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