4 Years Of Russia-Ukraine War: Kyiv Strikes Russian Missile Plant 1400 Km Away As Drone and Missile Attacks Intensify
Ukraine forces have struck a major missile factory deep inside Russia as Moscow kept up heavy drone attacks on Ukraine. Image courtesy: RNA
As Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine enters its fifth year, the conflict has expanded far beyond the front lines. In the latest round of attack, Kyiv launched a long-range strike on a key Russian ballistic missile production facility even as Moscow unleashed hundreds of drones and missiles on Ukrainian cities.
The latest escalation comes amid stalled US-mediated peace talks, revealing how diplomacy continues to struggle against the grinding momentum of Europe’s largest war since World War II. Notably, the Russia-Ukraine has now completed four years, with any signs of peace still looking elusive.
What happened in Russia’s Udmurt region?
Ukraine’s General Staff said its forces carried out a strike on a major industrial facility in Russia’s Udmurt Republic, deploying domestically developed Flamingo missiles to hit the site located roughly 1,400 kilometres from Ukrainian territory. The head of the Udmurt Republic, Alexander Brechalov, confirmed that “one of the republic’s facilities was attacked by drones” launched by Ukraine.
According to reports cited by DW, the intended target was the Votkinsk Machine Building Plant, a state-owned facility known for producing Iskander ballistic missiles and nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs).
Footage shared by local residents showed thick black smoke rising over Votkinsk, with visible structural damage, including shattered windows. Authorities temporarily suspended operations at multiple regional airports following the strike.
In a separate operation, the Ukrainian military said it also targeted a gas processing plant in Russia’s Samara region, signalling Kyiv’s continued focus on degrading Russia’s military-industrial and energy infrastructure deep inside its territory.
Russia’s missile and drone strikes on Ukraine
Kyiv’s latest cross-border strike follows a massive Russian assault on Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Moscow launched 29 missiles and nearly 400 drones in a coordinated barrage. Ukrainian air defences intercepted 25 of the 29 missiles, he said, describing the outcome as “an important result for our air defence.”
Nine people, including children, were reported injured. In a video message, Zelenskyy accused Moscow of demonstrating its “true intent” by launching attacks even as new diplomatic formats were beginning in Geneva, including trilateral and bilateral discussions involving the United States.
“Russia greets with a strike even the very day new formats begin,” he said, arguing that the attacks underscored Moscow’s unwillingness to de-escalate.
This time, Russian targets included not only energy facilities, but also logistics, in particular railway and municipal water supply infrastructure. “We discussed in detail with regional representatives that protection against Russian strikes must be scaled up while promptly taking into account changes in Russian tactics,” he shared.
Why is the timing significant?
The escalation came just days after the third round of US-mediated talks between Moscow and Kyiv concluded in Switzerland without a breakthrough. Earlier rounds in Abu Dhabi had been described as constructive but yielded no concrete progress.
The renewed exchanges in Geneva were seen as another attempt by Washington to create diplomatic space for de-escalation. However, the simultaneous intensification of military operations suggests both sides remain committed to applying pressure on the battlefield while negotiations inch forward.
Russia-Ukraine war completes four years
Having completed four year since Russia’s February 2022 invasion, the conflict has transformed into a prolonged war of attrition marked by deep-strike capabilities targeting military and industrial infrastructure, Expanded drone warfare on both sides, heavy reliance on air defence systems, persistent diplomatic efforts with limited tangible results.
Ukraine has increasingly demonstrated its ability to strike strategic facilities deep inside Russian territory, while Russia continues to deploy large-scale missile and drone barrages aimed at degrading Ukrainian infrastructure and morale.
With no breakthrough in negotiations and military operations intensifying, the conflict appears set to remain locked in a cycle of escalation and diplomacy.
