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Ukraine says it has damaged a key Russian military facility used in missile preparations, signalling a new phase in its long-range campaign. Officials described the operation as carefully coordinated and aimed at disrupting future attacks.
The strike reportedly targeted infrastructure linked to some of Russia’s most advanced weapons, reports Digi24.ro.
January operation
Ukraine’s defence forces said they carried out a series of long-range attacks in January against hangars at the Kapustin Yar test site in Russia. According to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, several hangar-type buildings were damaged, with one suffering significant impact.
Ukrainian officials said personnel were evacuated from the area following the strikes. The Kyiv Post reported that the attacks focused on facilities used to prepare missile launches.
Missile preparations hit
The General Staff said the damaged infrastructure was linked to preparations for launching medium-range and intercontinental ballistic missiles. These include systems associated with the Oreshnik missile, which has been described by Ukrainian officials as particularly dangerous.
Ukraine said the attacks were carried out using domestically produced long-range weapons, including the FP-5 Flamingo cruise missile, which is capable of travelling up to 3,000 kilometres and carrying large warheads for deep-strike missions.
Special forces role
Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces (SSO) confirmed their involvement, saying the operation was conducted jointly with other branches of the defence forces.
“Long-range drones of the SSO Deep Strike units caused fire damage to the infrastructure of the Russian military facility,” the SSO said in a statement.
According to the SSO, the operation continued throughout January 2026 and involved close coordination across multiple units.
Why Kapustin Yar matters
The Kapustin Yar test range, located in Russia’s Astrakhan region, is one of the country’s main missile testing and launch sites. It has historically been used for ballistic and strategic weapons, including short- and medium-range systems.
According to Ukrainian officials, Russia carried out experimental launches of the Oreshnik medium-range ballistic missile from the site. The missile, based on the RS-26 Rubej model, has hypersonic speed and a range of several thousand kilometres.
Ukraine says one such launch targeted Dnipro in November 2024, with a later strike in January 2026 hitting infrastructure near Lviv.
Sources: Digi24.ro, Kyiv Post, General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
