Voronezh hit by drone strikes on aviation and rubber plants

Ukrainian drones struck the Russian city of Voronezh during the night of October 25 and 26, igniting fires at key industrial facilities and residential structures. The attacks hit the Voronezhsintezkauchuk rubber plant and the Voronezh Aircraft Production Association, known as VASO. Ukrainian open-source intelligence channels Supernova+ and Exilenova+ identified the targets, while Russian media outlets Astra and Interfax confirmed the impact.

Voronezhsintezkauchuk is a subsidiary of the Russian conglomerate Sibur group. The facility manufactures synthetic rubbers and polymer materials. VASO operates under the Il division of the United Aircraft Corporation. The plant produces the Ilyushin Il-96 jet airliner and builds various aviation components.

Aleksandr Gusev, the governor of Voronezh Oblast, confirmed that fires broke out at several industrial businesses but did not specify which ones in his initial report. He described the blazes as occurring without significant consequences. Gusev stated that air defense systems downed more than 70 drones over the city itself. He said a total of 113 drones were intercepted across the wider urban area and several surrounding districts.

Beyond the industrial targets, Gusev reported fires in a business center, an apartment building, two dacha settlements, a school stadium, and a garage cooperative. He noted that damage to building facades and windows was recorded in nearly every district of the city. Astra, a Russian media outlet, provided specific locations for several impacts based on video analysis.

Astra reported a drone hit on the Galereya Chizhova business center at 35A Koltsovskaya Street, capturing the explosion on video. The outlet also identified explosion sites near residential buildings at 52A 25th Yanvarya Street and 4K Arkhitektora Troitskovo Street. The Uritsky residential complex at 135 Uritskovo Street sustained damage, and at least 10 cars were on fire in a parking lot at 275/1 45th Strelkovoy Divizii Street.

Residents told Astra that explosions and air defense activity continued for over an hour, filling the city with smoke. No air-raid warning was issued before the attacks began. The strikes represent a continued focus on Voronezh, a city located roughly 500 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, which has become a frequent target for Ukrainian drone campaigns.