Overnight May 23–24, Ukrainian Defense Forces carried out another massive drone attack on the territory of russia, resulting in hits on at least two enterprises. Both are known as suppliers of the russian defense industry.
Social media feature footage of the attack on the Energiya plant, filmed by witnesses. This is the second attack on this facility in recent days, after the previous successful strike on the night of May 23. Defense Express covered in detail how targeting this plant can affect the manufacture of glide air bombs and why it reflected Allied powers' WW2 tactics.
Read more: Ukraine's Strike on Energiya Plant as the Counter to russian Glide Bombs and Reflection of WW2 Tactics
Day four of drone strikes: Overnight, another wave of drones slammed into Russian territory. Moscow says 94 were "shot down," but reports speak of explosions near Yelets—already hit recently—and the NAK Azot chemical plant in Novomoskovsk, Tula region. pic.twitter.com/L41BDfPnn5— NOELREPORTS (@NOELreports) May 24, 2025
For a brief reminder, PJSC Energiya produces and supplies autonomous power cells for aircraft, navy, radio engineering, and emergency communications, but most notably for the UMPK kits which turn dumb bombs into precision-guided standoff strike munitions.
According to fresh reports by local governor Igor Artamonov, around 3 AM the "yellow" level of drone danger was issued, followed by announcement of a massive UAV raid after 6 AM. Artamonov recognized that some unmanned aerial vehicles had "fallen" in the industrial zone of the city of Yelets, where the Energiya plant is located. The drone alert was lifted at about 9:30 AM.
Another target that night was the Azot chemical plant, located in Novomoskovsk, Tula region. It's one of the largest producers of ammonia and nitrogen fertilizers in russia and a leading industry in terms of variety and quantity of other products.
Important, though, is that many articles are supplied to the military-industrial complex for making explosives. The facility is located approximately 348 km from the border with Ukraine.
The russian defense ministry reported the following morning that their air defense forces had taken down a hundred drones on the night of May 24.
That brings the total number of attack UAVs launched by Ukraine over the past four days to 1,200+, adding to the 1,177 drones allegedly shot down during other massive waves from the evening of May 20 to the morning of May 23, of which 788 were "neutralized" outside the active war front areas. The Ukrainian side has not specified how many explosive aerial vehicles it used overall, meaning the general number could be higher.
Read more: How russia Lost a Mi-8 Helicopter Near Oryol Due to Engine Failure — Fifth Incident in Five Months Highlights Critical Engine Shortage
