Ukrainian drones struck the Bolkhov Semiconductor Device Plant in Russia’s Oryol Oblast, a facility that had fulfilled more than 2,000 state contracts, including orders for missiles, aircraft, and control-system electronics. Another strike halted operations at the Energiya plant in Yelets, which specialized in producing batteries for UAVs, aviation, and missile systems including the Iskander and Kinzhal.
Kyiv’s partners are stepping up sanctions pressure: the European Parliament has approved higher tariffs on agricultural imports from Russia and Belarus, along with new restrictions on fertilisers, while the European Commission is proposing to cut the price cap on Russian oil to USD 45 per barrel.
China, by contrast, continues to support Russia’s defence-industrial complex, supplying specialty chemicals, machine tools, and electronics. Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service estimates that more than 80% of the electronics in Russian drones are of Chinese origin.
