Video footage released on social media purports to show the moment when a Ukrainian drone hit a critical Russian military site, sanctioned by the EU and the U.S.
A clip showed the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flying across the sky before striking the facility in the Stavropol region of southern Russia.
Newsweek has contacted the Russian and Ukrainian defense ministries for comment.
SERGEI SUPINSKY/Getty Images
Why It Matters
Faced by constant Russian bombardment, Ukraine has continued to use drones to strike at Russian military targets, although Kyiv often does not claim responsibility for these strikes.
Ukraine’s latest hit on one of Russia’s largest manufacturers of radio electronics which is sanctioned by the EU will deliver a blow to Moscow’s military capabilities.
What To Know
Ukrainian drones struck the Signal radio plant in the Stavropol region overnight Friday according to a source in Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) quoted by the Kyiv Independent.
The plant is just over 300 miles from Ukraine-controlled territory and makes electronic warfare equipment for front-line aircraft as well as active jamming systems, remote weapon-control modules, and other radio-electronic equipment.
The Kyiv Independent said the attack hit premises which hosts expensive imported equipment, including computer numerical control machines. A second strike hit another building that hosts an electronic devices workshop. The facility is sanctioned by the European Union, the U.S. and Japan.
Video posted on social media by Russian independent media outlet Astra purportedly showed one of the strikes, with a drone flying across the sky before striking a building, causing an explosion.
Other social media channels posted the footage with one saying that the drone was a Shahed-type device.
❗️Another video of the attack by a new 🇺🇦Ukrainian kamikaze drone of the Shahed type on the 🇷🇺Russian Signal plant in Stavropol pic.twitter.com/W7aP0bafhG
— 🪖MilitaryNewsUA🇺🇦 (@front_ukrainian) July 26, 2025
Stavropol regional governor Vladimir Vladimirov confirmed the attack but said there no casualties were reported and there was a small fire.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said its forces downed 54 Ukrainian drones across eight Russian regions but did not report any being intercepted over Stavropol region.
Pro-Ukrainian open source intelligence X account Tatarigami said that one building appears to have avoided critical structural damage, though localized fires were reported.
The facility served military and civilian sectors, including supplying cathodic protection equipment for the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in Iran, the post added.
Meanwhile, Russia launched ballistic missiles against Ukraine overnight Friday with the heaviest attacks targeting Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions, according to Ukrainian authorities.
What People Are Saying
X channel War Translated posted: “Drones hit the Signal defense plant in Stavropol, a major facility in Russia’s military-industrial complex. The plant makes radio-electronic equipment for combat aircraft, air defense, and electronic warfare systems.
Pro-Ukrainian open source intelligence X account Tatarigami on X: “The Signal facility includes 7 production workshops, a testing center, and 2 design bureaus.”
Ukrainian intelligence source told the Kyiv Independent: “The SBU continues to systematically disable enemy (Russia’s) facilities working for the war against Ukraine…each such attack stops production processes and reduces the enemy’s military potential.”
What Happens Next
Ukraine is likely to continue its strikes against Russian military sites as it steps up its drone production. Meanwhile, Russia continues to use drones to strike at Ukrainian infrastructure.