Ukrainian intel: No Western weapons used in Russia’s Tatarstan attack

Tatarstan officials claimed the drones used in the attack were "equipped with NATO-country equipment."

Apr 4, 2024 - 08:30
Ukrainian intel: No Western weapons used in Russia’s Tatarstan attack

Andrii Yusov, a spokesperson for Ukrainian intelligence, stated that Ukraine did not use Western-supplied weapons in the recent attack on a drone manufacturing facility in Russia’s Tatarstan region.

Ukraine’s Western partners do not support strikes on Russian territory and prohibit using their weapons for such attacks. This was specifically stated recently by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

“It is a fact that foreign-made weapons and equipment, including those from our partners, are not being used in these events,” Yusov emphasized. “It is also a fact that the Ukrainian drone manufacturing industry is developing very dynamically, and this should not be concealed.”

Additionally, Yusov noted that although Kyiv is engaged in a defensive war, this does not necessarily confine the conflict solely to Ukrainian territory.

On 2 April, drones targeted enterprises in Tatarstan, with Ukrainian media reporting that the attack was a special operation conducted by Ukrainian intelligence aimed , t a factory assembling Iranian Shahed drones labeled as Russian Geran-2 drones. This marked the first drone attack on Tatarstan territory since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.

Timur Shagivaleyev, General Director of the Alabuga special economic zone in Tatarstan, stated the drones were “equipped with NATO-country equipment,” without specifying which equipment.

UN Secretary-General spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric called for an end to strikes on what he called “civilian infrastructure” in Russia when asked about the attack on facilities in Tatarstan.

However, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy defended drone strikes on Russian territory, including in Tatarstan, despite UN condemnation. He emphasized that international condemnations of Russia’s actions have not deterred Moscow aggression, stating, “These people understand only one thing: a powerful response.”

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