Overnight on April 30, 2025, Ukrainian drones struck the Murom Instrument-Making Plant in Russia’s Vladimir region, a facility known for producing gunpowder and military equipment. The attack, reported by Alexander Avdeyev, the governor of Vladimir region, caused a significant fire at a warehouse. According to Avdeyev, several unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were detected within the city but were successfully neutralised by Russian electronic warfare systems.
Social media reports suggest that the Murom Instrument-Making Plant was the primary target of the drone strike. The plant has been under sanctions by the European Union and Ukraine since 2023 due to its role in producing pyrotechnic devices, firefighting equipment, and capsule detonators for the Russian military.
Meanwhile, in the Kursk region, Ukrainian drones also targeted a military warehouse in the city of Rylsk, resulting in a powerful explosion.
Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Volunteer Army “South,” commented that the warehouse was likely being used by Russian forces and noted that the strike was a well-deserved blow to the Russian military. “Rylsk got what it deserved,” he said, referring to the site where Russian soldiers were allegedly hiding military supplies. Bratchuk promised to release more details soon.
The Russian Ministry of Defence claimed that 34 Ukrainian drones were shot down during the attacks. However, official sources in Kyiv have not yet commented on the events. In response to the drone strikes, Russia implemented its “Kilim” contingency plan, temporarily suspending operations at three airports, those in Ivanovo, Nizhny Novgorod, and Yaroslavl, due to flight safety concerns. Air traffic resumed approximately an hour later.
The previous drone attack on April 28 had targeted the “Kremniy-EL” microelectronics plant in Bryansk, Russia, according to both Russian and Ukrainian sources.
A key Russian defence plant has suffered significant destruction following a drone strike on the night of 30 April. The JSC Murom Instrument Making Plant, located in the city of Murom in Russia’s Vladimir region, was targeted by what reports suggest were eight Ukrainian strike drones. The factory specialises in the production of ignition and initiation devices for military ammunition, supplying all branches of Russia’s armed forces, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Federal Security Service under the regime of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
According to the Dosye Shpiona Telegram channel and photo evidence posted by the user @GirkinGirkin on X, the drone attack triggered a fire that consumed a finished product warehouse measuring 720 square metres. The blaze reportedly destroyed the building entirely, and it is believed that ammunition capsules for firearms were being stored there.
The regional governor confirmed a fire caused by drone crashes but refrained from identifying the target facility. He attributed the incident to the interference of Russian electronic warfare systems, though the scale of damage raises serious doubts about their effectiveness.
Further reports suggest that the administrative building, possibly the plant’s security checkpoint, was also destroyed in the strike. In addition, at least two drones are said to have attacked a workshop involved in synthesising explosive substances, though there is no confirmed information yet about the damage to that section.
Photographs from the scene show widespread destruction, including scorched structures and drone wreckage scattered around the site. In the aftermath of the attack, authorities blocked access to the surrounding area.
The JSC Murom Instrument Making Plant is a key supplier within Russia’s military-industrial complex. Its products activate rescue devices in ground, naval, aviation, and space systems, including manned space programmes. The facility’s main clients include Roscosmos and hundreds of other defence industry enterprises. In 2020, the plant’s director declared it to be the Russian Federation’s largest producer of primer capsules.
The plant is part of the Techmash concern, a subsidiary of the state-owned Rostec corporation, which plays a major role in Russia’s war industry. Since 2023, the Murom plant has been under sanctions from both Ukraine and the European Union.
