-72b63a4e0c8c475ad81fe3eed3f63729.jpeg "Photo of Cyril Barabaltchouk")
Strike drones hit Russia’s Chuvash Republic, sparking a fire near the VNIIR-Progress defense plant in the city of Cheboksary, OSINT channels reported on February 18.
The OSINT Telegram channel ASTRA, citing residents, reported several explosions before a large blaze broke out in the industrial area.
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Footage published by Exilenova+ showed smoke rising from the site. Regional authorities confirmed a drone attack, with the governor claiming there were no serious damages or casualties.
Witnesses reported seeing at least three drones over the city, with one falling near a local shop and another reportedly crashing close to the VNIIR-Progress facility.
Traffic was also temporarily restricted on several streets, though the full extent of the damage remains unclear. VNIIR-Progress, located roughly 1,000 kilometers from Ukraine’s border, is a key supplier of electronics for Russian missiles and drones.
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The plant produces Kometa satellite navigation antennas and GNSS modules used in Shahed-type suicide drones, Iskander-M ballistic missiles, Kalibr cruise missiles, and glide-bomb guidance kits.
The factory has been targeted repeatedly. Previously, a precision Ukrainian drone strike set one of the buildings on fire, forcing the facility to shut down temporarily.
At the time, Regional Governor Oleg Nikolayev confirmed that two drones had crashed on the premises, halting operations
Earlier, Ukrainian long-range attack drones had struck the Russian defense plant “Michurinsky Zavod Progress” in the Tambov region, sparking a fire and heavy smoke on the factory grounds.
The Progress plant produced equipment for aviation and missile control systems, including gyroscopic stabilization devices, autopilots, course indicators, and angular velocity sensors used in flight-navigation systems.
