Drones attacked the Russian city of Taganrog early on Tuesday morning, Jan. 13, striking a drone manufacturing facility, according to Russian Telegram channels and regional officials.
The channels reported that the attack began at approximately 5 a.m. Kyiv time.
“Locals on social media suggest that the Atlant Aero plant and the G.M. Beriev TANTK aircraft repair plant were hit,” independent Russian outlet Astra reported.
The attack was later confirmed by Rostov region Governor Yuriy Slyusar, though he did not specify which facilities were targeted.
“Air defense forces are currently repelling an air attack on Taganrog. There has been no information about casualties. Data on the consequences on the ground are being clarified,” Slyusar wrote in a post published at 5:55 a.m.
Videos showing the aftermath of the attack were circulating on social media.
The Atlant Aero enterprise produces components for combat drones, including control systems and electronic warfare equipment. Its production reportedly focuses on Orion drones and first-person view (FPV) drones.
The Beriev TANTK aircraft plant in Taganrog is a key repair and maintenance facility for Tu-95MS “Bear” strategic bombers and A-50 airborne early warning and control aircraft.
Ukraine previously attacked Taganrog in November 2025, when the Beriev TANTK plant was struck, reportedly destroying two experimental Russian military aircraft – the A-60 and A-100LL – as well as damaging the Atlant Aero facility.
Astra reported explosions and large fires at the site at the time. Unconfirmed Ukrainian milblogger reports claimed that up to six Tu-95MS bombers were undergoing repairs or upgrades at the plant during that strike.
Despite initial Russian claims that the November attack caused minimal damage, the Rostov regional civil defense authority later declared a state of emergency in Taganrog, according to a statement by Mayor Svetlana Kambulova.
Later, in its statement, the General Staff confirmed a UAV production facility in Russia’s Rostov region had been struck.
According to the report, units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces hit the Atlant Aero enterprise in Taganrog using Ukrainian-made missiles.
The General Staff reported that Atlant Aero carries out the full cycle of design, production, and testing of Molniya-type strike and reconnaissance UAVs, as well as manufacturing components for the Orion UAV.
The strike is expected to reduce Russia’s UAV production capacity and weaken its ability to carry out attacks against civilian targets in Ukraine, the report added.
Explosions and a fire were recorded in the area of the production facilities, with the extent of the damage still being assessed.
The General Staff also reported strikes on several Russian military targets in occupied Ukrainian territories.
In the occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukrainian forces hit a Tor surface-to-air missile system near Chereshneve, a Tunguska air defense system near Podsporye, a P-18-2 Prima radar station near Lozuvatka, and a concentration of Russian personnel in the Lyubimovka area.
In the occupied part of Donetsk region, an ammunition depot and a concentration of Russian troops in the Makeyevka area were struck, along with a Tor air defense system near Sonyachne.
Separately, the Russian city of Oryol was also attacked by drones on the evening of Monday, Jan. 12, with reports indicating that a thermal power plant may have been hit.
Andriy Kovalenko, head of Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council, wrote on Telegram that something had struck the Oryol thermal power plant, causing a fire.
Astra reported that smoke was observed rising in Oryol following the UAV attack.
“According to Astra’s OSINT analysis, the source of the smoke is at the Oryol thermal power plant, which has been attacked several times. However, it is impossible to reliably determine whether it is smoke or steam,” the outlet said.
The channel added that local residents heard explosions during air defense activity but did not observe visible flames.
“There are also no fire sources seen in eyewitness footage. Thus, Astra cannot reliably confirm that the facility was hit,” the report said.
The Oryol thermal power plant was previously targeted on Jan. 9. On that day, power outages were reported in Russia’s Belgorod Oblast and the city of Oryol following alleged missile strikes on energy infrastructure.
Russian media and local Telegram channels said Belgorod and nearby settlements lost electricity after an air raid alert, with reports of strikes on substations and a thermal power plant. The Storozhevaya substation was reportedly hit, leaving the entire city without power.
Similar reports emerged from Oryol, where residents said explosions were heard near a thermal power plant, followed by disruptions to electricity and water supply.