In brief: Ukrainian monitoring channels reported on Telegram that Russia’s 123rd Aircraft Repair Plant in the town of Staraya in Russia’s Novgorod region was struck by drones Monday night, marking its second strike yet.
Following reports of overhead drones and the sound of explosions in Russia’s Novgorod region on Monday, air alerts were sounded throughout the region. Ukrainian monitoring channels, including Krimsky Veter and Exilenova+, reported on Telegram that the 123rd Aircraft Repair Plant (123 ARZ) in Staraya Russa was hit by drones.
The site is Russia’s main repair and maintenance facility for military Il-76, Il-78, and L-410 transport aircraft. The factory and its adjacent airstrip had previously been hit by four drones in March. During that attack, the roofs of the final assembly and a maintenance workshop were breached resulting in a major fire, with the runway surface left damaged.
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According to Krimsky Veter, that attack also resulted in damage to a $330 million Russian A-50 airborne early warning and command (AEW&C) aircraft, which was located on the territory of the enterprise for maintenance and possible modernization.
Eyewitnesses, cited by The Moscow Times and the Supernova+ Telegram channel on Tuesday, reported fires at the plant with emergency services having been dispatched to deal with them, although the extent of any damage has yet to be confirmed.
The plant is part of Rostec’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC). The plant positions itself as “the leading provider of service for transport aircraft of Russia’s military and civilian aviation fleets,” and is considered to be “the only plant in Russia capable of performing comprehensive repairs of transport aircraft.”
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The plant has its own Class G airfield, from which it receives aircraft arrivals and departures, as well as conducting test flights of aircraft that have undergone repair or maintenance.
According to Astra, 123 ARZ is one of the region’s largest enterprises, responsible for a large portfolio of state defense orders, but subject to sanctions from the US, the EU, Switzerland, Japan, and Ukraine as part of the Rostec state corporation.
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