Russian forces struck the Turkish Bayraktar drone manufacturing facility in Kyiv during the night of 28 August, marking the fourth attack on the plant in six months, according to Igor Zinkevich, co-founder of the NGO Varta-1 and Lviv City Council deputy.

“Two hits were recorded, and the production facilities were seriously damaged,” Zinkevich said. Baykar Makina company confirmed the information to Ukrainian media outlet Oborontsi.

The extent of the damage remains unknown, but the strike has dealt a significant blow to production capabilities that were nearing completion.

“Despite previous attacks, the company continued investing tens of millions of its own funds, training personnel and preparing production. Most capacities were almost ready, the main personnel had completed training,” Zinkevich said.

The Turkish manufacturer of Bayraktar TB2 UAVs planned to establish the Ukrainian facility in 2022, with construction launched in early 2024 and expected completion by August 2025. The plant had not yet gone live, but most of the production facilities had already been prepared.

The attack occurred during a massive Russian assault on Kyiv Oblast, where Ukrainian forces shot down 70 Russian drones, setting a record for drone interceptor usage.