Ukraine hits Russian electronic warfare facility making Shahed, Iskander components, General Staff says
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Ukrainian drone strike on Russian airfield hits bomb depot, aircraft
Ukraine targeted the Borisoglebsk airfield in Russia’s Voronezh Oblast overnight on July 5. The airfield hosts Su-34, Su-35S, and Su-30SM jets that Russia regularly uses in air strikes against Ukraine. Residents in the area reported 8–10 powerful explosions around 2 a.m. local time. The strike was part of a broader overnight drone campaign across Russia, with explosions and fires reported in at least six regions.
The airfield hosts Su-34, Su-35S, and Su-30SM jets thatRussia regularly uses in air strikes against Ukraine, according to the military. The strike may have destroyed a training and combat aircraft, with further assessments underway.
The NASA Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) detected a fire near the Borisoglebsk military airfield shortly after the strike. Residents in the area reported 8–10 powerful explosions around 2 a.m. local time, according to Russian independent outlet Astra.
The strike was part of a broader overnight drone campaign across Russia, with explosions and fires reported in at least six regions.
The Russian Defense Ministry said 42 drones were intercepted within a three-hour period, most of them over Belgorod, Bryansk, and Kursk oblasts, which border Ukraine.
Leningrad Oblast Governor Alexander Drozdenko said two drones were downed south of St. Petersburg, prompting a temporary suspension of flights at Pulkovo airport. No casualties or damage were reported.
The governor of the Smolensk Oblast in western Russia said anti-aircraft units downed three drones without casualties or damage. The governor of the Voronezh Oblast, bordering Ukraine, also confirmed the destruction of several drones.
Explosions were also heard overnight in Cheboksary, the capital of the Chuvash Republic, where video footage shared online showed a fire reportedly at a local industrial site.
Additionally, explosions were heard during the night in Engels, Saratov Oblast, with some Telegram channels suggesting a military airfield was likely targeted.
The attacks come as Russia escalates aerial assaults on Ukraine, prompting Kyiv to increase long-range drone strikes on Russian military targets.
Ukrainian officials say these drone operations aim to undermine Russia’s strike capabilities and bring the war closer to those enabling the Kremlin’s campaign.
‘There is also good news’ — Ukrainian drones hit key military optics plant in Russia, General Staff confirms
Drones struck multiple targets in Russia overnight on July 4, including a high-value defense facility in the southern Rostov region. Russia launched a massive drone and missile assault on multiple Ukrainian cities, with Kyiv as the primary target. At least 23 people were injured in the capital amid widespread destruction and high levels of air pollution. Russia’s Defense Ministry later claimed that air defense systems had intercepted or destroyed 48 Ukrainian drones overnight. The full extent of the damage is still being assessed. The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify these claims. The attack reportedly damaged several cars and shattered windows in residential buildings. In the village of Dolotinka, a drone strike reportedly caused the collapse of a section of a residential building, killing an elderly woman.
Drones struck multiple targets in Russia overnight on July 4, including a high-value defense facility in the southern Rostov region, according to Andrii Kovalenko, head of the counter-disinformation center at Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council.
Kovalenko said a drone hit the Azov Optical and Mechanical Plant in the town of Azov, Rostov Oblast. The facility reportedly manufactures critical components for the Russian military, including sights, rangefinders, thermal imaging systems, and fire control equipment for tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, ships, and aircraft.
“Despite the difficult night, there is also good news. There were attacks on facilities in Russia, particularly in Moscow and Rostov regions,” Kovalenko wrote. “This is where the ‘eyes’ for Russian armored vehicles are assembled.”
Overnight on July 4, Russia launched a massive drone and missile assault on multiple Ukrainian cities, with Kyiv as the primary target. At least 23 people were injured in the capital amid widespread destruction and high levels of air pollution.
Ukraine’s General Staff later confirmed that its drone units, operating in coordination with other elements of the Defense Forces, also struck the Scientific Research Institute of Applied Chemistry (FNTs NIIPKh) in Sergiyev Posad, Moscow Oblast.
The military said the facility is involved in the production of thermobaric warheads for Shahed-type drones and plays a critical role in Russia’s airstrike capabilities.
“We confirmed that our munitions hit the target,” the General Staff said. “A fire and heavy smoke were detected in the area of the facility.” The full extent of the damage is still being assessed.
Russian officials also confirmed drone strikes across several regions.
Yuriy Slyusar, acting governor of Rostov Oblast, said a number of towns in the region were struck by drones. In the city of Azov, the attack reportedly damaged several cars and shattered windows in residential buildings. Debris from one drone allegedly fell onto a local stadium.
In the village of Dolotinka, a drone strike reportedly caused the collapse of a section of a residential apartment building, killing an elderly woman. Authorities said 20 residents were evacuated from the damaged structure.
In Sergiyev Posad in Moscow Oblast, four explosions were reported around 5 a.m. near the Zvezdochka neighborhood, accompanied by the sound of drone engines, according to local residents. Oksana Yerokhanova, head of the district, said a power substation was damaged in the incident.
Two people were injured in Sergiyev Posad, according to Governor Andrei Vorobyov.
Russia’s Defense Ministry later claimed that air defense systems had intercepted or destroyed 48 Ukrainian drones overnight. According to the ministry, 26 were downed over Rostov Oblast, 12 over Kursk Oblast, six over Belgorod Oblast, three over Oryol Oblast, and one over Lipetsk Oblast.
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify these claims.
Ukraine hits Russian electronic warfare facility making Shahed, Iskander components, General Staff says
The site is JSC VNIIR-Progress, a Russian state institute that specializes in developing electronic warfare systems. The institute is located in Cheboksary, Chuvash Republic, about 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) away from the Ukrainian border. The Kometa antenna is used in Shahed-type drones, Iskander-K cruise missiles, and guided aerial bomb modules.
The site in question is JSC VNIIR-Progress, a Russian state institute that specializes in developing electronic warfare (EW) systems, including the Kometa antenna arrays, used to jam satellite, radio, and radar signals.
The institute is located in Cheboksary, Chuvash Republic, about 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) away from the Ukrainian border.
The Kometa antenna is used in Shahed-type drones, Iskander-K cruise missiles, and guided aerial bomb modules — all high-precision weapons used by Russia to strike civilian and military targets across Ukraine.
The General Staff confirmed that Ukrainian weapons reached the target area but said final damage assessments were still underway.
The VNIIR-Progress institute has been sanctioned by both the United States and the European Union for its role in supporting Russia’s war effort.
The Iskander-K is a precision-guided cruise missile with a range of up to 500 kilometers (311 miles), frequently used by Russia to target civilian areas. Shahed drones have become a central part of Moscow’s airstrike tactics since late 2022 due to their low cost and high payload.
Located on the Volga River, Cheboksary is the capital of the Chuvash Republic and lies deep inside Russian territory. Russian independent media outlet Astra and local Telegram channels earlier reported explosions in the city overnight.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed to have shot down two drones over the region.
This marks the second known Ukrainian drone strike on VNIIR-Progress. On June 9, explosions and fires were also reported at the facility following another drone attack.
‘Deliberately massive and cynical’ — Russian attack on Ukraine began as Trump and Putin spoke, Zelensky says
Russian forces launched more than 550 aerial weapons, including over 330 Iranian-type Shahed drones and multiple types of missiles. Ukraine’s military said it shot down 270 aerial threats, while 208 additional drones were jammed by electronic warfare. The U.S. has decided to halt shipments of Patriot missiles and other promised weapons to Kyiv, claiming it needs to secure its own stockpiles. “Patriots and their missiles are real defenders of life,” Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said. “Only this can bring faster change,” he said of the need for allies to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia’s growing threat to its airspace and economy. “We need to ensure that for every such attack on people and lives, they (Russia) feel the corresponding sanctions and other blows to their economy, their earnings, their infrastructure,” he added.
According to Zelensky, as U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin were talking on the phone on July 3, air raid sirens blared across Ukraine.
“Moreover, the first air raids in our cities and regions began yesterday almost simultaneously with the start of media discussions of President Trump’s phone call with Putin,” Zelensky wrote.
“This was one of the most large-scale air attacks – deliberately massive and cynical… Russia is once again demonstrating that it is not going to end the war and terror.”
The overnight attack struck Kyiv and several other regions, injuring at least 23 people and setting off dozens of fires in Ukraine’s capital. Russian forces launched more than 550 aerial weapons, including over 330 Iranian-type Shahed drones and multiple types of missiles, including ballistic missiles, Zelensky said.
Firefighting efforts and debris removal are still ongoing after another Russian strike. This was one of the most large-scale air attacks – deliberately massive and cynical. In total, 550 targets were launched, including at least 330 Russian-Iranian “shaheds”, along with missiles,… pic.twitter.com/vnn31oST0z — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 4, 2025
Kyiv was the main target. Ukraine’s military said it shot down 270 aerial threats, while 208 additional drones were jammed by electronic warfare. Interceptor drones also downed dozens more, Zelensky said, calling their growing use a key defense priority.
Zelensky stressed the need for continued and increased military aid from allies, especially air defenses. “Patriots and their missiles are real defenders of life,” Zelensky said. “It is very important to maintain the support of partners in ballistic missile defense.”
Despite Russia’s escalating attacks and Ukraine’s desperate need for air defense munitions, the U.S. has decided to halt shipments of Patriot missiles and other promised weapons to Kyiv, claiming it needs to secure its own stockpiles.
Kyiv residents and emergency crews at the site of Russian attack on July 4, 2025. Russia targeted the capital throughout the night with drones and missiles, causing fires across the city. (Ukraine’s State Emergency Service / Telegram) Firefighters respond at an attack site in Kyiv after Russia launched a mass attack overnight on July 4, 2025. (Ukraine’s State Emergency Service / Telegram) Smoke rises over the residential district after a Russian drone and missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 4, 2025. (Yurii Stefanyak / Global Images Ukraine via Getty Images)
Beyond Kyiv, strikes also hit the Dnipropetrovsk, Sumy, Kharkiv, Chernihiv, and Kyiv oblasts, according to Zelensky. Fires and damage were reported in nearly every district of the capital, including residential buildings, schools, medical facilities, and railway infrastructure.
Local authorities described the night as “terroristic.” Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported fires in at least five districts. Air quality in the city remained dangerously poor by morning, as noted by the Ministry of Environmental Protection.
Meanwhile, Russian state media reported that during the Trump-Putin call, Putin reiterated his determination to continue pursuing the Kremlin’s goals in Ukraine, despite mounting international calls for a ceasefire.
Zelensky called on Ukraine’s allies, particularly the United States, to apply massive and immediate pressure on Russia. “We need to ensure that for every such attack on people and lives, they (Russia) feel the corresponding sanctions and other blows to their economy, their earnings, their infrastructure,” he said. “Only this can bring faster change.”
Ukraine hits Russian electronic warfare facility making Shahed, Iskander components, General Staff says
The General Staff of Ukraine’s Armed Forces confirmed that Ukrainian weapons reached the target area but said final damage assessments were still underway. The site in question is JSC VNIIR-Progress, a Russian state institute that specializes in developing electronic warfare systems. The institute is located in Cheboksary, Chuvash Republic, about 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) away from the Ukrainian border. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed to have shot down two drones over the region.
The site in question is JSC VNIIR-Progress, a Russian state institute that specializes in developing electronic warfare (EW) systems, including the Kometa antenna arrays, used to jam satellite, radio, and radar signals.
The institute is located in Cheboksary, Chuvash Republic, about 1,200 kilometers (745 miles) away from the Ukrainian border.
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The Kometa antenna is used in Shahed-type drones, Iskander-K cruise missiles, and guided aerial bomb modules — all high-precision weapons used by Russia to strike civilian and military targets across Ukraine.
The General Staff confirmed that Ukrainian weapons reached the target area but said final damage assessments were still underway.
The VNIIR-Progress institute has been sanctioned by both the United States and the European Union for its role in supporting Russia’s war effort.
The Iskander-K is a precision-guided cruise missile with a range of up to 500 kilometers (311 miles), frequently used by Russia to target civilian areas. Shahed drones have become a central part of Moscow’s airstrike tactics since late 2022 due to their low cost and high payload.
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Located on the Volga River, Cheboksary is the capital of the Chuvash Republic and lies deep inside Russian territory. Russian independent media outlet Astra and local Telegram channels earlier reported explosions in the city overnight.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed to have shot down two drones over the region.
This marks the second known Ukrainian drone strike on VNIIR-Progress. On June 9, explosions and fires were also reported at the facility following another drone attack.
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