Ukraine War BREAKING NEWS: Long-Range (1125km) Drone Attack Deep into Russia
Table of Contents 📖
"If one drone can get through, 10 drones can get through. So why haven't they hit it with 10 drones?"
Hello Team
🎦 00:00-00:15⏩
Jonathan welcomes viewers to a breaking news update on the war in Ukraine, apologising for the later than usual upload due to the holiday and spending time with family.
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Long-range Drone Attack on targets deep inside Russia
🎦 00:15-02:02⏩
Jonathan reports a significant development: Ukraine has struck targets deep inside Russia using long-range attack drones. This follows a recent announcement by Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's Minister of Digital Transformation, about Ukraine possessing drones capable of exceeding 1,000km in range. This represents a gradual evolution in Ukrainian drone technology, with ranges increasing over time. These new drones are large enough to be considered autonomous planes.
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Analysis of drone strike on Shahid 136 drone production facility in Yelabuga
🎦 02:02-04:06⏩
Jonathan analyses footage shared by Special Kursonkat that appears to show one of the new, large, long-range kamikaze drones striking a target in Yelabuga, Tatarstan, over 1,150km from the front line. Jonathan notes that the drone, which caused a substantial explosion, struck dormitories near the Shahid 136 drone production plant. He speculates that this might have been a missed opportunity, as a direct hit on the production facility would have been more impactful.
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Analysis of drone strike on Tanako Oil Refinery in Nizhnyakansk
🎦 04:06-05:03⏩
Jonathan analyses another strike, this time on the Tanako Oil Refinery in Nizhnyakansk, also in Tatarstan and over 1,125km from the front. Information is limited, but this refinery is confirmed as processing over 18 million tons of oil in 2023. Again, only one drone was used in this attack. Jonathan questions why multiple drones weren't used, hypothesising that a single strike on a critical part of the refinery could be as disruptive as multiple strikes. He suggests that Ukraine may be strategically spacing out its attacks to maximise disruption.
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New Model of Ukrainian Kamikaze Drone used in Attack
🎦 05:03-06:53⏩
Jonathan highlights the use of a new kamikaze drone model in these recent attacks. This model has a significantly longer range than the Lutyi drone used in previous strikes on Russian oil refineries.
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Drone may be based on existing Aeropract A22 light aircraft
🎦 06:53-07:25⏩
This new drone resembles the Aeropract A22, a Ukrainian light aircraft. Jonathan believes it's plausible that Ukraine has modified existing aircraft into autonomous or AI-assisted drones.
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Russian Response: Concerns over lack of Air Defences
🎦 07:25-10:28⏩
Jonathan discusses Russian reactions to the attacks, noting concerns about the lack of air defense coverage across Russia's vast territory. He points out that Russia is struggling to protect even its most critical facilities. He cites a tweet from Thomas Theiner that highlights the vulnerability of Russia's defense factories. He uses the analogy of a small blanket on a large bed: Russia can't defend everything, forcing them to make difficult choices about what to protect. This new threat has made the Russians nervous, as they grapple with the reality that even civilian air traffic control failed to detect the drones.
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Investigation: Russia using Students to build Shahid Drones
🎦 10:28-13:20⏩
Jonathan discusses an investigation by journalists from Protocol and the YouTube channel RZVRT which reveals that students from Alibuga Polytech College are being used to mass-produce Iranian Shahid drones in Tatarstan. The students are reportedly paid based on production output and often have to work as janitors and loaders, conditions some are calling 'slave labour'. He references Rob Lee's confirmation that the drone attack hit the student dormitories and not the drone factory, which may have been a missed opportunity. However, Jonathan believes the attack sends a message to Russia.
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Wrap up
🎦 13:20-13:32⏩
Jonathan concludes by saying that he will discuss these events in more detail in his regular news update video later in the day.
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