Avangard facility in St. Petersburg affected by fire manufactures missiles, navy gear — Defense Express

This was stated on Espreso TV by military expert and development director at the media and consulting company Defense Express, Valeriy Ryabykh.

"The Avangard plant is one of the enterprises that belongs to the so-called military-industrial complex of the Russian Federation. It’s one of the few facilities in the terrorist state still capable of producing various electronic systems. These are components for military equipment, both for the Russian Navy and for strategic missiles. These are technologies that Russia has kept in production since Soviet times and is now trying to expand, including by acquiring foreign tech," Ryabykh said.

According to him, before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia received such components from Western countries. Now, China is the main supplier.

"That’s why strikes on Russian factories that produce tools of terror and death for Ukrainians are completely legitimate military targets. There are over a thousand such sites across Russia. And their destruction won’t always be from strikes launched from Ukraine; more and more, underground fighters will act directly inside Russian territory," Ryabykh said.

The Defense Express development director also added that such incidents will influence public sentiment in central Russian regions, especially in politically sensitive cities like Moscow and St. Petersburg.

"These cities have long believed in the strength and 'impenetrability' of their air defense systems. But more and more incidents are happening there. This will inevitably weaken Russia’s military potential and shift its political and social climate," Ryabykh stressed.

• On the night of May 29, a fire broke out at the Avangard factory in Saint Petersburg (Russia). Firefighters are trying to extinguish the fire at the factory building, which is listed among the country’s strategic enterprises.