Ukraine launched a drone strike over the weekend on the Bolkhov semiconductor factory in the Oryol region in Russia, hitting one of the country’s most critical military technology facilities and disturbing a large microelectronic supplier used in weapons systems.
The installation, located about 200 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, is often called “Silicon Valley” of Russia because of its role in the production of fleas for equipment such as Iskander and Kinzhal missiles and Sukhoi fighter planes.
Ten drones targeted the factory during the operation, Ukrainian military sources said, triggering a fire on the site. The magnitude of damage is still being evaluated.
The factory is linked to the Conglomerate of State Defense of Russia, Rostec, and has been under American sanctions since 2024 for its role in the support of the Kremlin War Machine.
“This is a massive blow for the Russian industrial military complex,” said a Ukrainian source familiar with the operation. “It’s like Silicon Valley for their military technology.”
The same source noted that the factory was a key supplier of microelectronics to the Russian armed forces and suggested that the repair of damage would take time and resources.
The governor of the Oryol region, Andrey Klychkov, said 37 drones had been slaughtered on the region. He said that following a “massive enemy drone attack” in the city of Bolkhov, several private residential buildings and the Bolkhov semiconductor factory were damaged.
Klychkov added that “work is underway to eliminate the consequences of the attack” and that there was no victim, according to Kyiv Post.
While the Russian authorities have not published full declaration, local telegrams have reported explosions and UAV activity in the region.
The strike is part of Ukraine’s broader strategy to degrade Russia’s capacity to produce and maintain advanced weapons by targeting supply chains and defense infrastructure within Russian territory.
Images broadcast on the Ukrainian telegram channels seemed to show fires burn on the factory after the strike. Military analysts claim that such long -term drone attacks reflect kyiv’s efforts to put pressure on the logistics of the Moscow War without only relying on the front line battlefield.
The complete extent of the disruption remains clear, but the strike marks an important escalation in the campaign of Ukraine to achieve strategic defense objectives in the depths of Russia.
