Ukrainian Drone Strike Disrupts Operations in Russias Tech Hub Zelenograd

A significant drone offensive by Ukraine struck the city of Zelenograd, often referred to as Russia’s “Silicon Valley,” along with a machine-building facility located north of Moscow, as reported by Russian media and Ukrainian officials on Wednesday.

To address this assault, Russian civil aviation authorities temporarily halted flights to and from the airports of Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky in Moscow. The Defense Ministry announced that it had intercepted nearly 300 Ukrainian drones during the night across 12 regions, including Moscow.

Moscow’s Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that air defense systems shot down at least 33 Ukrainian drones as they neared the capital. In the Moscow region, authorities indicated that at least 42 additional drones were intercepted, leading to damage to three residential buildings.

Andriy Kovalenko, who heads Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation, asserted that the attack targeted the Dubna Machine-Building Plant and the ELMA Technopark in Zelenograd, a hub for electronics development situated just northwest of Moscow.

“There seem to have been some successful strikes,” Kovalenko stated. “ELMA serves as a crucial center for substituting imports of essential components that were once obtained from Western sources.”

The Moscow Times has not been able to independently confirm Kovalenko’s assertion regarding the success of these strikes.

The Telegram news channel Astra circulated videos that seemed to depict drones flying over and detonating near ELMA-Zelenograd. This facility, located in Zelenograd, is involved in the advancement of IT, microelectronics, robotics, and medical technologies.

Russian officials claimed there was “no significant damage or injuries resulting from the intercepted enemy drones in Zelenograd,” noting that emergency services responded to the attack sites.

Dubna, another center for scientific and technological research, including nuclear studies, is situated approximately 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of Moscow. The website for the Dubna Machine-Building Plant indicates that the facility specializes in developing electronics, software, lasers, and more.

In Ukraine, at least 15 individuals were reported injured due to overnight Russian strikes, according to Ukrainian state media early Wednesday.

Both Russia and Ukraine have intensified air assaults in the past two weeks, despite reinitiating direct negotiations earlier this month. On Monday, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that it had destroyed 2,331 Ukrainian drones within a week and accused Kyiv of attempting to hinder peace discussions.