Ukraine strikes missile plant in Azov: ‘Neptun’ missiles and details of the SBU operation

Ukraine has struck the Azov optical-mechanical plant in Russia’s Rostov region, a key facility of the ‘Tactical Missiles’ state corporation that produces components for Russian missile programs — new details of the operation were revealed by the SBU in recent hours, as the Kyiv Independent reports.

The strike happened on the night of September 26 and was confirmed by Ukraine’s General Staff. According to reports, fire broke out in the plant’s casting department and equipment was damaged in five production buildings.

The operation was carried out by the SBU, through the ‘Alfa’ Special Operations Center, in cooperation with the Ukrainian Navy. The strike was conducted with ‘Neptun’ cruise missiles as well as ‘Ruta’, ‘Palianytsia’ and ‘Bars’ jet-powered drone-missiles. The damaged targets include the optical production and casting department, the assembly section, the galvanizing workshop and the printed circuit board line.

The plant in the city of Azov is part of the Russian state corporation ‘Tactical Missiles’ and produces opto-mechanical and opto-electronic equipment, radar systems for guided missiles, thermal equipment and electronics for precision artillery. According to internal documents analyzed by the firm ‘Dallas Analytics’, the plant is linked to at least seven Russian missile programs, including the Kh-101 strategic cruise missile and the ‘Oreshnik’ intermediate-range ballistic missile, as well as the R-37M, Kh-35U, Kh-59, Kh-69 and Kh-31P missiles.

Context: the strike followed another operation the same night against the Ilsky oil refinery in the Krasnodar region, which was forced to suspend operations.