Ukrainian drones hit strategic target in Smolensk assault
On Tuesday, January 21, Ukrainians conducted a drone attack on Smolensk, a city located about 306 kilometres from the border with Ukraine. The governor of the Smolensk region, Vasily Anokhin, confirmed the information about the strike. Experts from open-source intelligence report that one of the drones struck a workshop belonging to the Smolensk Aviation Plant, where a fire broke out.
According to the Ukrainian service Militarny, several Ukrainian drones were supposed to reach Smolensk. According to the Russians, some of them were shot down. However, experts from open-source intelligence, including analysts from the Dnipro OSINT account, point out that some drones most likely reached one of the workshops of the Smolensk Aviation Plant, where a fire broke out.
Ukrainian drone attack on Smolensk
This is not the first Ukrainian attack on this location. Militarny reminds us that a similar strike was carried out in October 2023. Ukrainian intelligence later revealed that the strike on the Smolensk Aviation Plant, which is part of the Russian state corporation "Tactical Missile Armament," disrupted the production process of Raduga Kh-59 air-to-surface guided missiles. These missiles are often used by Russians in Ukraine.
It is currently unknown which Ukrainians used specific drones. However, it is known that Ukraine has at least several models of drones capable of covering significant distances. This category includes, among others, kamikaze drones "Bóbr," UJ-22 "Airborne" drones, and "Rubaka" drones.
The first-mentioned drones are classified as loitering munitions with a range of up to 1,000 kilometres. Available information indicates that the takeoff weight of "Bobr" does not exceed several tens of kilograms, and their speed can reach 150-200 kilometres per hour. They were also designed in a canard configuration, enabling a quick change in altitude to avoid enemy air defences.
UJ-22 "Airborne" are multi-task unmanned aerial systems. They can reach a maximum speed of 160 kilometres per hour and fly at a maximum altitude of 6,000 metres. Their controlled flight range is 100 kilometres, and autonomous flight up to 800 kilometres. According to the manufacturer, UKRJET, the UJ-22 drone can operate continuously for 7 hours and performs well even in extreme temperatures (from -40°C to 50°C). It is designed to carry loads weighing up to 20 kilograms.
Another Ukrainian drone with significant range is the "Rubaka." The range of these drones is about 500 kilometres. The devices can carry an explosive payload weighing from about 2 to even 15 kilograms. Depending on the type of payload used, this mass is sufficient, with a precise hit from a kamikaze drone, to destroy, for example, Russian artillery or cause human casualties.
