Ukraine strikes a key industrial site deep inside Russia

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian forces struck an industrial site deep inside Russia on Saturday, which Ukraine and unofficial Russian news channels say was a key state-owned missile factory.

The attack in Russia’s Udmurt Republic left 11 people wounded, three of whom were hospitalized, according to a Telegram post by Sergei Bagin, the local health minister.

“One of the republic’s facilities was attacked by drones” launched by Ukraine, regional head Alexander Brechalov said in another Telegram post. He added that the strike caused injuries and damage, but did not identify the site or give further details.

Hours later, Ukraine’s General Staff said its forces struck a key missile plant near the city of Votkinsk, using Ukrainian-made FP-5 “Flamingo” cruise missiles rather than drones.

“A military-industrial complex enterprise, the ‘Votkinsk Plant’ … was hit. A fire was recorded on the facility’s premises. The results are being clarified,” the General Staff said in a Facebook post.

An unofficial Russian news channel on Telegram, Astra, likewise said earlier on Saturday that the strike targeted the Votkinsk Machine Building Plant, a major state defense enterprise. Astra said its claim was based on an analysis of footage from residents.

The Votkinsk factory, more than 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) from Ukraine, produces Iskander ballistic missiles, often used in strikes against Ukraine, as well as nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles, missiles for submarines and air-launched Kinzhal missiles.

Another unofficial Russian Telegram channel, SHOT, which often quotes contacts in the security services, said residents of Votkinsk reported hearing at least three blasts during the night, as well as what they thought was the humming of drones.

The Udmurt Republic’s main passenger airport, in the city of Izhevsk, and airports in nearby regions suspended operations early on Saturday, according to Russia’s civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsiya.

In other overnight attacks, Ukraine’s General Staff said its forces had also targeted a gas processing plant in Russia’s Samara region. Earlier Saturday, Russian military blogs reported that an attack caused a fire at the Samara plant. There was no immediate comment from Russian officials.

Russia’s Defense Ministry on Saturday said its forces had damaged launching sites for Ukraine’s “Flamingo” cruise missiles over the previous day, among other military targets. The ministry’s statement did not make reference to the Votkinsk missile plant or any Ukrainian strikes in the area.

No progress in peace talks

The strike came days after the latest U.S.-brokered talks between envoys from Moscow and Kyiv over Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine ended Wednesday with no sign of a breakthrough, as the war’s fourth anniversary approaches next week.

The negotiations in Switzerland were the third round of direct talks organized by Washington, after meetings earlier this year in Abu Dhabi that officials described as constructive but which also made no major headway. Expectations for significant progress in Geneva were low.

Russia attacked Ukraine with 120 drones and one ballistic missile overnight into Saturday, Ukraine’s air force said. Ukrainian forces shot down 106 drones, while the missile and 13 drones struck targets in 11 locations in the country, the statement said.

Oleh Kiper, the head of Ukraine’s Odesa region on the Black Sea, said drones damaged civilian and energy infrastructure facilities in the region, including a secondary school and an energy company’s warehouses. Two people were also injured, he said in a statement on Telegram.

The southern port city of Odesa and surrounding region have been frequent targets for Russian attacks. Earlier this week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said tens of thousands of Odesa’s residents were left without heating and running water.

In remarks published on social media on Monday evening, Zelenskyy said Moscow should be “held accountable” for the relentless strikes, which he said undermine the U.S. push for peace.

Russia’s FSB says Telegram use endangers front-line troops

Elsewhere, Russia’s Federal Security Service, known by its acronym FSB, claimed that Ukraine has been able to harvest data from Telegram and use it for military purposes. The app is hugely popular among Russians, including soldiers at the front.

The FSB was quoted by Russian state media as saying it had obtained “numerous reliable reports” that the use of Telegram “has repeatedly resulted in threats to the life of service members over the past three months.” The reports did not cite any examples or evidence.

Separately, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday signed a law requiring mobile operators in Russia to block cellular and landline internet services at the request of the FSB, the latest move in the ongoing Kremlin effort to tighten control over the internet.

Earlier this month, Russian communications watchdog Roskomnadzor said it will impose new restrictions on Telegram, after accusing it of refusing to observe Russian law. The move triggered widespread criticism from Russian military bloggers, who warned that Telegram was widely used by troops fighting in Ukraine and its throttling would derail military communications.

Last week, Russia attempted to fully block WhatsApp in the country, the company said. Russian authorities have already blocked major social media like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, throttled YouTube, and methodically ramped up restrictions against other popular platforms since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

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