Ukrainian drones hit Russian plant involved in missile output
Two Ukrainian drones struck the site of an electronics developer and manufacturer in Cheboksary, which temporarily halted operations to protect employees, Oleg Nikolayev, governor of Russia's Chuvashia region that's located 1,300 km (800 miles) from the border with Ukraine, said in a Telegram post.
The plant is involved in the missile production process, including for the Iskander system, said Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Ukrainian Center for Countering Propaganda, on Telegram. It also produces navigation systems for Russian Shahed drones and components used in glide bombs, according to the Ukrainian unmanned systems forces.
The attack on the electronics plant comes as Russian forces have been targeting Ukraine with major missile and drone strikes for several days. U.S. President Donald Trump said last week that Russian President Vladimir Putin warned in a telephone call that Moscow would retaliate for Ukrainian drone operations that destroyed several strategic nuclear bombers at airfields across the country.
Russia overnight launched 499 drones and missiles, including four Kinzhals and 14 cruise missiles, Ukraine's air defense forces said Monday on Telegram. The military shot down or jammed 479 of them, it said.
Ukraine regularly targets Russian plants involved in military production, as Moscow's full-scale invasion continues into its fourth year. While officials from Kyiv and Moscow have held direct talks in Turkey twice in the past month, Russia has so far refused calls by the U.S., Europe and Ukraine to agree to a ceasefire to allow for peace negotiations.
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Boston Globe
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A 'profoundly alarming moment for Europe' Trump's seemingly public rehabilitation of Putin — a pariah in most of Europe — has unnerved Ukraine's backers. The summit in Alaska is a 'profoundly alarming moment for Europe,' said Nigel Gould-Davies, senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. According to Gould-Davies, Putin might persuade Trump to try to end the war by 'accepting Russian sovereignty' over parts of Ukraine, even beyond areas that it currently occupies. Trump also could ease or lift sanctions which are causing 'chronic pain' to the Russian economy. That would provoke a 'really serious split in the transatlantic alliance,' he said. 7 Residents carry sheets of plywood to cover broken windows in a heavily damaged residential building following a Russian strike in the town of Bilozerske, Donetsk region on August 12, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. AFP via Getty Images The war isn't about Russia's territorial expansion but about Putin's goal of subordinating Ukraine, which would create the opportunity to threaten other parts of Europe, Gould-Davies said. It was unclear whether the Europeans also were unsettled by Trump mistakenly saying twice he would be traveling to Russia on Friday to meet Putin. The summit is taking place in the US state of Alaska, which was colonized by Russia in the 18th century until Czar Alexander II sold it to the US in 1867. Tuesday's European joint statement was meant to be a demonstration of unity. But Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who is Putin's closest ally in Europe and has tried to block EU support for Ukraine, was the only one of the bloc's 27 leaders who refused to endorse it. Russia closes in on Pokrovsk Russia appeared closer to taking an important city in the Donetsk region, Pokrovsk. Start your day with all you need to know Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters Military analysts using open-source information to monitor the battles said the next 24-48 hours could be critical. Losing Pokrovsk would hand Russia an important victory ahead of the summit. It also would complicate Ukrainian supply lines to the Donetsk region, where the Kremlin has focused the bulk of military efforts. 7 A woman walks past a heavily damaged residential building following a Russian strike in the town of Bilozerske, Donetsk region on August 12, 2025, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. AFP via Getty Images 'A lot will depend on availability, quantity and quality of Ukrainian reserves,' Pasi Paroinen, an analyst with the Finland-based Black Bird Group, wrote on social media late Monday. Ukraine's military said its forces are fending off Russian infantry units trying to infiltrate their defensive positions in the Donetsk region. The region's Ukrainian military command on social media Monday acknowledged that the situation remains 'difficult, unpleasant and dynamic.' Elsewhere in Ukraine, a Russian missile attack on a military training facility left one soldier dead and 11 others wounded, the Ukrainian Ground Forces posted on social media.
