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Long-Range Drones Smash Russian Arms Factory and Oil Hub Nearly 1,000 km From Ukrainian Border, Video
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Drones struck deep inside Russia, hitting two key industrial targets: a defense-linked mechanical plant in Mordovia and a major oil complex in Dagestan, according to Russian media outlet Astra on October 22.
The Saransk Mechanical Plant in the city of Saransk—part of Russia’s state defense conglomerate Rostec—was hit in a precision strike that reportedly caused damage to the facility. Residents captured the moment of impact on video, shared by Astra, pinpointing the strike to coordinates 54.196328509396665, 45.17491323048603.
According to Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence Directorate, the Saransk plant manufactures munitions, detonators, and components for Russia’s military and defense industry. Despite its ties to Rostec and its direct role in arming Russian forces, the plant remains unsanctioned by the United States and the European Union.
Astra reported that the Kayseri drone attack targeted the same site previously struck earlier this year, when Ukrainian drones hit the city’s fiber-optic cable manufacturer “Optic Fiber Systems”—the only such producer in Russia—whose products are also used in FPV drones.
Mordovia’s governor, Artyom Zdunov, confirmed that “one of our enterprises sustained damage,” adding that emergency crews were on site.
He declined to specify which plant was hit or whether there were casualties.
The Saransk facility, situated approximately 700 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, had been partially shut down in 2020 after inspectors discovered serious safety violations in its explosive production lines, Kommersant previously reported.
Meanwhile, in Dagestan, drones hit an oil refinery complex in the capital, Makhachkala.
Videos published by Astra and verified by OSINT analysts show a strike on the DagNefteProdukt oil refinery—one of the largest in the North Caucasus, spanning 32 hectares and capable of processing up to 1 million tons of oil annually.
The footage, taken roughly three kilometers from the site, captured a direct impact on refinery infrastructure.
Dagestan’s governor, Sergey Melikov, confirmed “a drone attack on one of the republic’s enterprises,” adding that there were no casualties and that damage assessments were ongoing. He reminded residents that sharing footage of drone strikes or military positions was prohibited.
Other reports suggested the strike could have hit the neighboring DagNotech refinery, part of the same complex, that lies about 860 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.
Earlier, Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) destroyed two Russian light aircraft used to intercept Ukrainian long-range drones.
The SBU’s press center reported that the aircraft were located at Russian airfields in temporarily occupied territories. Russian forces had deployed these planes to target Ukrainian long-range unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
