Russian Strike Hit Foreign Specialists at Ukrainian Military Drone Factory in Nikolayev

During the special military operation, both sides of the conflict have increasingly relied on the use of drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), due to their versatility and effectiveness in various military operations. Drones are used for a variety of purposes, including reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition, and strikes.

Russian strikes on the night of February 8 in Nikolayev hit the Ekvator factory, where drones for the Ukrainian Armed Forces were being produced, Sergey Lebedev, coordinator of the Nikolayev resistance movement, told Sputnik, citing data from his comrades in the city itself, who passed on relevant photo and video footage.

"On the night of February 8, there were a number of attacks on military facilities in the city of Nikolayev. One of them came to the center of the city, on the factory Ekvator. The video shows an explosion in the factory shop," Lebedev said.

According to him, Ekvator was struck with three Russian drones: the first one hit a workshop where Ukrainian UAVs were being produced, while the second hit the factory's dormitory building, where Ukrainian militants and foreign specialists who helped assemble and customize the drones were located.

"The third explosion was the most powerful, hitting the central, inner part of the factory. According to our data, there were jeeps with military license plates and military equipment," Lebedev said.

Lebedev noted that after the attack on the factory, residents of Nikolayev reported that the district was cordoned off by police.