Kyiv Confirms: Neptune Missiles Destroyed Russia’s Taganrog Drone Factory

Ukraine has confirmed that Neptune cruise missiles were used to strike a key Russian drone production facility in Taganrog on April 19, destroying and damaging multiple buildings at the site.

In an updated assessment released on Friday, Ukraine’s General Staff said two production buildings at the Atlant Aero plant were destroyed and four more were damaged in the strike.

Atlant Aero is a critical hub in Russia’s drone program, handling the full cycle of design, production, and testing of “Molniya” strike-reconnaissance drones, as well as components for the “Orion” drone.

The Orion is an advanced drone capable of carrying up to 250 kg (551 lbs) of payload, including guided bombs and missiles.

Ukraine’s General Staff said the confirmed damage would reduce Russia’s ability to carry out drone strikes on civilian infrastructure.

This incident follows previous attacks on the same facility in January and March of this year. Local residents reported a powerful explosion followed by a massive column of black smoke rising from the site.

The strike formed part of a broader Ukrainian campaign against Russian military-industrial and logistics infrastructure.

Beyond the aerospace sector, the overnight operation on April 19 targeted a wide range of Russian military logistics and energy assets.

A major ammunition depot near Trudove in the Zaporizhzhia region was hit, alongside logistics warehouses in Mangush, Topolyne, and Mariupol in the Donetsk region, and Smile in the Zaporizhzhia region.

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