Ukrainian Liutyi loitering-attack drones struck the Russian Kupol Electromechanical Plant in Izhevsk—a key producer of Tor and Osa surface-to-air missile systems and Harpiya (Garpiya) loitering munitions—igniting multiple fires and prompting the evacuation of all on-site personnel, regional authorities and local reports said on July 1.
The strike unfolded in the early hours of July 1 in Izhevsk, Russia, over 1,300 kilometers from Ukraine’s border, when several Liutyi UAVs breached the city’s airspace and struck production workshops at the Kupol facility.
Kupol, a state-owned joint-stock company in Izhevsk and part of the Almaz-Antey defense conglomerate, specializes in the serial production of the Tor-M1, Tor-M2, Tor-M2KM and Osa-AKM short-range air-defense systems. According to European intelligence, between July 2023 and July 2024 the plant assembled over 2,500 Garpiya loitering munitions equipped with Chinese engines and components for use against military and civilian targets in Ukraine.
Alexander Brechalov, head of the Udmurt Republic, confirmed that all plant personnel were evacuated and that emergency crews battled multiple fires across the workshops.
“All emergency services have arrived at the scene. I’ll share more details as they come in,” he wrote on Telegram, later reporting casualties including deaths and serious injuries.
In response to the incident, Russia’s aviation agency temporarily suspended flights in and out of Izhevsk Airport and authorities imposed airspace restrictions as emergency services maintained a security cordon around the plant.
Kyiv has not officially claimed responsibility for the operation, in line with its policy of neither confirming nor denying strikes on military-industrial targets within Russia.
Earlier, loitering attack drones struck the Kupol Electromechanical Plant in Izhevsk—located over 1,260 kilometers from Ukraine’s border—damaging its UAV workshop, igniting multiple fires and halting Harpiya-A1 drone assembly as emergency crews battled the blaze.
