Ukrainian forces launched a long-range strike against the Progress Rocket and Space Centre in Russia’s southwestern Samara region, utilizing domestically produced FP-5 Flamingo cruise missiles according to Euronews. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the operation, describing the facility as a key enterprise under the Russian space agency NBC News.
Ukrainian Missile Strike Hits Roscosmos Space Centre in Samara
The targeted facility, located approximately 560 miles (900 kilometers) from the Ukrainian border, is involved in the manufacturing and operation of space launch vehicles and electronics production. According to details shared by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the launch vehicles produced at the Progress centre are utilized to place Russian military, reconnaissance, and communications spacecraft into orbit. Additional reports noted that the rocket centre supports Russia’s nascent Starlink-style satellite internet network.
Ivan Noskov, head of the city of Samara, stated that air defense forces repelled a massive missile attack, resulting in localized damage to industrial sites in the city and noting that medical assistance had been provided to the injured. Samara Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev also confirmed that an industrial facility in the region had been hit without identifying it by name, while Ukrainian monitoring channels reported a fire breaking out on the grounds.
Simultaneous Strikes Target Savasleyka Air Base and Ust-Luga
Alongside the Samara facility, Ukrainian forces carried out additional long-range operations on the same day. Zelenskyy reported that the Savasleyka military air base in the Nizhny Novgorod region, situated roughly 430 miles from the front line, was also struck.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stated that the Savasleyka air base is utilized to operate MiG-31K fighter jets carrying Kh-47M2 Kinzhal ballistic missiles. Furthermore, Zelenskyy confirmed that an oil facility in Ust-Luga, located close to the border with Estonia, was targeted during the wave of operations. Video footage shared by the Ukrainian leader on X appeared to show the aftermath of the strikes, displaying large columns of black smoke and flames in the distance.
Broader Campaign of Long-Range Strikes and Russian Air Defenses
The strikes form part of an intensified campaign by Kyiv involving long-range attacks deep inside Russian territory, which Zelenskyy termed long-range sanctions
aimed at reducing Moscow’s war potential and pressuring the Kremlin to end the conflict. Data from the independent conflict monitor ACLED indicates that Ukraine launched three times as many long-range strikes in July compared to January.
Russian authorities reported widespread interception efforts during the onslaught. Russia’s Ministry of Defense stated that its forces had intercepted 598 Ukrainian fixed-wing drones overnight across 19 regions, as well as over the Black and Azov Seas and the annexed Crimean peninsula. The aerial attacks also caused temporary disruptions and restrictions at airports in several Russian cities.
In response, the Ukrainian Air Force reported that Russian forces launched 152 attack drones and loitering munitions overnight, of which 124 were shot down or neutralized across 16 locations. Local officials reported civilian casualties and structural damage from Russian strikes in multiple Ukrainian regions, including Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson, and Sumy.
