Panic as screaming Russians flee Ukraine strike on key military facility | World | News

Panic today gripped the “armoury capital of Russia” – Izhevsk city – as Ukraine exploded a key military plant. Lyutyi kamikaze drones flew more than 750 miles to hit the Izhevsk Electromechanical Plant Kupol [or Dome], igniting a huge explosion and fireball.

Residents screamed as the plant came under fire, with gunfire heard in a failed attempt to halt the giant arms factory. People are seen fleeing and screaming from the strike on the plant. Choking smoke clogged the city after the attack. Russia admitted three people had been killed. At least another 31 were injured.

The Kupol plant is a key Russian manufacturer of short-range air defence systems and drones used by Vladimir Putin’s forces in the war. At least two Lyutyi drones struck the Kupol plant within a five-minute burst.

Astonishingly, there was no air raid warning, which led to the high number of casualties. The plant is one of the largest in Russia’s military-industrial complex, and produces the Tor-M2E surface-to-air missile system as well as military radar stations.

Andriy Kovalenko, the head of Ukraine’s Centre for Counteracting Disinformation, said: “There are explosions in Izhevsk, Russia… The Kupol Electromechanical Plant is located there. It is one of the main producers of the Tor missile systems and Harpiya-A1 attack drones for the Russian army.”

Igor Brechalov, head of the republic of Udmurtia, admitted there were “dead and badly injured”.

He said: “All the emergency services are working.

“Medical services, psychologists. There are casualties. The firemen are putting out the fires.”

Izhevsk – famous, too, for the Kalashnikov arms conglomerate – is also known as Russia’s ‘City of Gunsmiths’.