Besides the attack with ATACMS missiles on the Bryansk chemical plant in the evening, a massive drone attack soon followed on the night of January 14th. The geographical span and the number of targets affected make it arguably the largest-scale long-range strike by the Ukrainian Defense Forces since the outbreak of the russian invasion.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff officially reported on strikes inflicted on military facilities at operational depth 200 to 1,100 kilometers into russian soil. According to updated data, the chemical plant located in Seltso, 12 km from Bryansk, produces explosive fillings in particular for BM-21 Grad, Tornado-S and Smerch multiple launch rocket systems, as well as high-explosive airbombs and components of Kh-59 cruise missiles.
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Explosive products made at this enterprise continued to cook off even after the initial impacts settled down. Also, two air defense systems were destroyed in the process: a Tor and a Buk SAM launchers.
Also, falling "missile debris," as claimed by local authorities, damaged the Kremny El enterprise in the Bryansk city itself. This is the nth time this facility comes under attack since it's considered the second-largest manufacturer of military electronics in russia.
Given the distance from the border of 105—115 km, ATACMS and Storm Shadow cruise missiles could have been used for the attack but the specific list of weapons involved is unknown. Local authorities in russia report a "combined missile attack."
Later into the night, Ukrainian drones reached the Saratov region. Two targets at once came under this attack, according to available reports. The first is the Saratov oil refinery, located in the southern part of the city.
Russia: Saratov Oil Refinery struck by Ukrainian drones. pic.twitter.com/b3mjpXLMek— Igor Sushko (@igorsushko) January 14, 2025
The second is the Kristall oil depot which suffered a similar aerial raid a week prior. It neighbors the Engels Air Base and stores special fuels for russian strategic aviation. Just yesterday, the russian firefighters reported the fire extinguished after it raged for five consecutive days due to the Ukrainian attack. The new hit is a result of a complex multi-day operation executed by the Unmanned Systems Forces of Ukraine.
Apocalyptic. In Engels, russia, the gates of hell opened after the Ukrainian attack. pic.twitter.com/pO8xvUnNYo— Jürgen Nauditt (@jurgen_nauditt) January 14, 2025
Lastly, Kazan in russia came under drone attack. The Kazan Orgsintez factory, the only manufacturer of high-durability plastic and an enormous industry spanning 2x2 km in perimeter, was lit on fire, too. The specific target was the liquid gas storage unit, a crucial part of the production chain, one of the few vulnerable spots that could be seriously damaged by drones despite their limited warhead firepower.
Reports also indicate drone strikes in Tula, Voronezh, Rostov, Oryol, and Tambov regions of russia. Unverified reports suggest an oil pumping station near Almetyevsk, Tatarstan. The overall number of drones spotted across 12 regions of the russian federation exceeds 200 units.
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