Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
The large-scale attack triggered air sirens almost 2.000 kilometers from the Ukrainian state border.
In the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Ukrainian forces considered strikes approximately 650 kilometers into Russian territory a great success.
After four years of war, Ukrainian forces are now conducting strikes more than 1,000 kilometers into Russian territory on an almost daily basis, and according to the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, a Russian oil refinery 1,750 kilometers from Ukraine’s state border was struck in February.
Ukrainian long-range strike capabilities are rapidly increasing, and a large-scale attack last night showed that Russia now has to sound air raid sirens nearly 2,000 kilometers into its own territory.
Fire in the sky
According to the Kyiv Independent, an overnight attack on May 5 saw a massive wave of projectiles sweep across several Russian regions, triggering a temporary halt at no fewer than 18 airports.
Air raid sirens wailed in areas located up to 1,930 kilometers (1,200 miles) away from the Ukrainian border, and the attack targeted several industrial complexes.
The information has not been independently verified, but the independent Russian media outlet ASTRA reported that a key state institute in Cheboksary took a direct hit. Social media footage captured a large blaze at the JSC VNIIR-Progress facility, a site known for producing high-precision weapon components.
Local Governor Oleg Nikolayev claimed one person was injured in the city. The area reportedly faced missile strikes and follow-up drone attacks just hours later.
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Hitting the supply chain
Ukraine’s General Staff stated that the Cheboksary plant develops electronic warfare systems. This includes the Kometa antenna, which helps guide the very weapons raining down on Ukrainian cities.
Footage from the strike was posted on X by the OSINT group Exilenova+.
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The disruption did not stop at weapons manufacturing. Leningrad Oblast Governor Alexander Drozdenko confirmed that the Kirishi oil refinery was also targeted.
This specific refinery processes over 6 percent of all refined oil in the country. NASA fire monitoring data backed up the claims of an attack, showing multiple blazes at the industrial site.
Drozdenko added that local air defenses intercepted 29 incoming drones. Overall, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported shooting down 289 drones across multiple regions.
Deep into the capital
The strike wave reached the outskirts of the capital, where Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin reported five downed drones. This follows a strike a day earlier that hit a residential building just a few miles from the Kremlin.
The timing of these deep strikes carries heavy symbolic weight. They occurred less than a week before the annual May 9 Victory Day Parade.
A key player in the recent barrage appears to be the Ukrainian-built FP-5 Flamingo missile. Russian media outlets claimed this weapon struck the Cheboksary institute.
The Flamingo boasts a massive 1,000-kilogram warhead and a staggering 1,864-mile range. According to the Kyiv Independent, President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously referred to it as Ukraine’s “most successful missile.”
Sources: The Kyiv Independent, ASTRA, posts on X by Exilenova+
