Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
Approx. 90% of the output from the plant reportedly to go the Russian Ministry of Defense
A Ukrainian long-range strike targeted a major Russian defense-linked factory overnight, the Ukrainian military outlet Militarnyi reports, citing information released by Ukrainian forces.
Video released by Ukraine’s military shows the moment the facility was hit, highlighting what officials say is a continuing campaign to weaken Russia’s war industry.
According to Ukraine’s General Staff, the Ukrainian Air Force carried out a precision attack on the Kremny EL plant using Storm Shadow/SCALP cruise missiles.
Footage shared by the military shows explosions tearing through the industrial complex.
The information has not been independently verified, but the OSINT group Exilenova+ has released footage showing huge plumes of smoke rising from the site of the plant. The footage appears to have been recorded by a bystander.
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“Devastating” blow
Video from the strike indicates that the plant’s main production workshop sustained heavy damage. Ukrainian officials described the hit as a “devastating” blow to the facility.
The General Staff said the attack forms part of a broader strategy aimed at reducing Russia’s military and economic capacity during the war.
The strike took place on the evening of March 10. Witnesses across Bryansk reported a large fire at the plant, while videos circulating online showed cruise missiles hitting the site.
Strategic manufacturer
Kremny EL is considered Russia’s second-largest microelectronics manufacturer. Roughly 90 percent of its output reportedly goes to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Components produced at the plant are used in microchips installed in various Russian weapons systems, including cruise and ballistic missiles.
According to available data, the company’s trade volume reached about 3.9 billion rubles in 2021. Its components have also been linked to Russian radar programs using active phased array antennas.
The Storm Shadow/SCALP EG cruise missile
Storm Shadow cruise missiles, a Franco-British-produced weapon, have been in service since 2003 and are designed to penetrate air defenses and destroy hardened or stationary targets.
The missiles carry a 450-kilogram warhead and can reach targets more than 250 kilometers away in export versions.
Storm Shadow is the British name for the missile, while SCALP EG is the French designation. The two missiles are generally identical, with the only differences found in the software and the design of the aircraft carrying them.
Sources: Ukrainian General Staff, open-source military reports, Militarnyi
