In the early hours of May 21, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, through coordinated efforts involving its Unmanned Systems Forces and other defense components, struck the Bolkhov Semiconductor Device Plant in russia's Oryol region, a facility crucial to Moscow's military-industrial complex.
The plant manufactures a wide range of high-tech components, including microchips, power electronics, diodes, optoelectronic switches, and servo drives. Its output directly supports at least 19 military-linked enterprises in russia. Among them are manufacturers of advanced weapon systems such as the Su-series combat aircraft and the Iskander and Kinzhal missile systems.
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Despite being under international sanctions, the Bolkhov plant reportedly produces up to three million devices and microelectronic components annually and employs around 700 workers.
Ukrainian defense sources confirmed that ten UAVs reached the targeted area, resulting in a fire at the facility. While the full extent of the damage is still being assessed, the attack underscores Ukraine's strategy of targeting russia's war-sustaining infrastructure.
The strike forms part of a broader campaign to degrade russia's military and economic capabilities, aiming to pressure the Kremlin into halting its ongoing war against Ukraine.
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