On the night of May 5, Russia faced an unprecedented wave of air threats. A missile alert was declared in 18 regions of the country, and flight restrictions were imposed at 18 airports. Particular attention was drawn to the alert in Siberia, located 2,000 km from the Ukrainian border.
This night marked the first time since the start of the full-scale invasion that a missile strike alert was issued in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug (KMAO). Governor Ruslan Kukharuk confirmed the threat, which served as a stark reminder of the war to residents deep within Russian territory.
In addition to the KhMAO, alerts were recorded in 16 other regions, including the Sverdlovsk and Orenburg regions, Tatarstan, and Bashkortostan. Due to the threat of drones and missiles, airports in Volgograd, Kazan, Samara, Ufa, and other cities suspended operations.
In Cheboksary (Chuvashia), the VNDIR-Progress plant, a key facility of the Russian military-industrial complex that develops military electronics for the Russian Armed Forces, was struck.
Footage posted online shows a fire on the factory grounds. The sound preceding the explosion may indicate a cruise missile strike. Russian authorities have not yet commented on the extent of the damage.
Another target was the Kirishinefteorgsintez (KINEF) oil refinery in the Leningrad region, one of the largest refineries in northwestern Russia. NASA’s FIRMS system detected thermal anomalies indicating a fire.
