Ukrainian drones struck the Russian city of Cheboksary in the Chuvashia Republic during the early hours of Wednesday, in what appears to be a renewed attack on a local military-linked research and production facility, according to Russian Telegram channels and regional officials.

The Telegram channel SHOT reported that the first explosion occurred at around 2:40 a.m. local time. Residents later noted additional blasts on the outskirts of the city and in the skies near the village of Lapsary, approximately 10 kilometers away. Videos circulating on social media show flames and thick smoke rising from one of Cheboksary’s districts shortly after the reported drone strike.

Chuvashia’s regional head, Oleg Nikolayev, confirmed that the area had come under drone attack. According to Nikolayev, two people—including a teenager—were injured, and two residential buildings sustained damage in the incident.

Several Russian Telegram channels claimed the drones struck the VNIIR-Progress plant, a facility located roughly 970 kilometers from the nearest point of the Ukrainian border.

VNIIR-Progress, a state-run research institute, specializes in the development of electronic warfare technologies, including the Kometa antenna—equipment used to interfere with satellite, radar, and radio communications. The enterprise is currently under sanctions from both the European Union and the United States for its role in supporting Russia’s military operations.

This is not the first time the facility has reportedly been targeted. On June 9, a Ukrainian drone strike caused major explosions and fires at both VNIIR-Progress and the neighboring ABS Electro facility. At that time, Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed it carried out the operation, describing it as part of a broader strategy to undermine Russia’s production capacity for components used in attack drones, guided munitions, and other precision-strike weapons.

As of now, Russian authorities have not provided further details on the extent of the damage or identified the origin of the drones involved in the latest attack. (ILKHA)