Ukrainian drones struck a key Russian semiconductor facility overnight, damaging the Bolkhovsky Semiconductor Devices Plant in Oryol Oblast, about 200 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. The plant, under U.S. and Ukrainian sanctions, produces components for Russia's military electronics, including parts used in Sukhoi warplanes and Iskander and Kinzhal missiles.

According to the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces, ten drones hit the site, causing a fire. Russian officials initially downplayed the damage but later confirmed that both the facility and nearby residential buildings were impacted. No casualties were reported.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said it intercepted 159 drones across nine regions, including 53 in Oryol. The strikes caused temporary mobile internet outages in the Moscow, Vladimir, and Lipetsk regions, with authorities citing security concerns.

The Bolkhov plant is one of Russia's leading producers of diodes, microcircuits, and optoelectronic components used in defense systems. It has been under U.S. sanctions since 2023 due to its role in Russia's military-industrial complex.

The drone attack occurred as Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the neighboring Kursk region. While Moscow claims to have regained full control of the area, Ukraine disputes this, saying fighting continues.

The incident underscores Ukraine's growing use of drones to disrupt Russia's defense supply chain and signals heightened vulnerabilities in critical semiconductor infrastructure supporting military operations.