Ukraine's largest long-range strike to date hits key Russian military and industrial sites

Defense Express explains.

The Ukrainian Defense Forces carried out another long-range strike on the night of January 14, 2025, which is claimed to be the most massive and effective one to date, based on the number of targeted sites and the wide geographic reach. 

This attack involved both missiles and various long-range drones. The first target was the Bryansk Chemical Plant, located 12 km from Bryansk. According to Russian sources, the plant specializes in the assembly and production of various munitions, including shells for the MLRS systems Grad, Tornado-S, Smerch, and aerial bombs.

Bryansk itself was also attacked, where, as local authorities announced, “missile fragments” damaged the Kremniy El enterprise, which is not the first time it has been attacked, as it is the second largest manufacturer of electronics for military purposes in Russia. Given the distance from the border of 105-115 km, ATACMS and Storm Shadow cruise missiles could have been used in the attack, but the specific list of weapons used is unknown. Russian local authorities report a “combined missile attack.”

During the night, Ukraine launched an attack on targets in Russia's Saratov region. According to available information, two targets were struck. The first was the Saratov oil refinery, located in the southern part of the city.

The second facility targeted was the Kristal oil depot near Engels, located on the left bank of the Volga River. This depot, which had been successfully attacked a week ago, serves as a state reserve storage facility for fuel used by strategic bombers. Russia had spent five consecutive days trying to extinguish the fire at the depot, only announcing yesterday that it had been fully extinguished. However, the fire has now reignited following the latest attack.

Kazan was another target of Ukrainian attacks. Following a strike, a fire broke out at the Kazan Orgsintez plant, Russia's sole producer of high-strength plastics and a massive industrial complex spanning a 2-by-2 km perimeter. The attack targeted a liquid gas storage facility, a critical component of the plant's production chain and a vulnerable point due to the limited payload capacity of drone warheads.

Additionally, Ukrainian drones reportedly struck facilities in the Tula, Voronezh, Rostov, Oryol, and Tambov regions. Russian sources claim that Ukraine launched over 200 drones, which were detected across 12 regions of the Russian Federation.

Reports this morning also indicate an attack on an oil pumping station in Tatarstan near the city of Almetyevsk, suggesting the scale and reach of the strikes may be even greater.