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Russia Admits Ukraine Can Now Strike Its Once-Untouchable Ural Industrial Heartland
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Russia’s Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu has stated that the Ural region—long considered beyond the reach of Ukrainian strikes—is now facing a direct threat, as Ukraine continues to expand the range and scale of its long-range capabilities.
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According to Russian outlet Ura on March 17, Shoigu said during a visit to Yekaterinburg that the situation has changed significantly. “Yes, until recently the Urals were beyond the reach of air strikes from Ukrainian territory, but today they are already in the zone of direct threat,” he stated.
Shoigu also emphasized that no region of Russia can now be considered fully secure from Ukrainian drone attacks. Speaking at a field meeting in the Ural Federal District, he said that the evolution of unmanned systems and their use has reached a level where “no region of Russia can feel safe.”
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According to the same reports, Shoigu highlighted the strategic importance of the Ural region, describing it as a concentration point for Russia’s defense-industrial complex, energy infrastructure, chemical industry, and major oil and gas assets.
He warned that disruptions to transport hubs and railway networks in the region could have broader economic consequences and impact supply chains critical to Russia’s military operations.
Russian officials stated that the number of aerial attacks on Russian territory rose nearly fourfold over the past year, reaching more than 23,000 incidents in 2025 compared to 6,200 in 2024.
According to Russian media reports, Ukrainian forces have increasingly targeted military, transport, and fuel-energy infrastructure deep inside Russia, with drone units, security service operations, and military intelligence playing a central role in these campaigns.
The Ural region includes several key industrial areas—Sverdlovsk, Chelyabinsk, Orenburg regions, Perm Krai, and Bashkortostan—which host a large share of Russia’s military production capacity. These areas have faced repeated strike attempts over the past year as Ukraine seeks to disrupt Russia’s defense industry.
The expanding reach of Ukrainian long-range systems has already been demonstrated in recent strikes deep inside Russian territory. According to monitoring channel Exilenova+ on March 16, drones targeted the Aviastar aircraft manufacturing plant in Ulyanovsk—located approximately 1,800 kilometers from Ukraine.
The facility is a key producer of Il-76 military transport aircraft and other strategic aviation platforms. The incident temporarily disrupted operations and highlighted Ukraine’s growing ability to strike critical defense-industrial targets far beyond the front line.
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