ISW: AFU Strikes On Tatarstan Become Turning Point

An important nuance of the attack on the refinery and the factory where the Shaheds were assembled.

The Ukrainian strikes on the Alabuga special economic zone in Tatarstan on April 2 became a turning point and showed Kyiv's ability to reach enemy targets at long distances deep behind the Russian lines. This is a necessary component of Ukraine's campaign to destroy industries that support the Russian army.

Ukraine's success was noted by analysts at the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW). There they reminded that the drones hit Russian military production and refining infrastructure in the Republic of Tatarstan, more than 1,200 kilometres from the Ukrainian border.

Analysts noted that geolocation footage showed the UAV crashing in the area of a dormitory near the Yelabuga Polytechnic College. Russia uses the production facilities of the Alabuga SEZ to produce drones like the Shahed-136/131 used for attacks on Ukraine.

Another drone landed at the Taneko oil refinery in Nizhnekamsk, Tatarstan. The Russians said the aerial target was allegedly suppressed by their electronic warfare equipment, causing it to crash into the plant's infrastructure and cause a fire. The downing was successful - according to Reuters, the Ukrainian drone strike on Taneko, Russia's third-largest refinery, damaged the main unit responsible for about half of the refinery's oil processing.