Kanal13

Ukrainian Forces struck Russia's only military spaceport, where the Sarmat missile is tested

Duration: 3:16 388 transcript words EN summary

Video summary

Ukrainian forces have executed one of their longest-range raids on Russian territory by striking the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in the Arkhangelsk region, a facility critical to Russia's military space program. This strategic location serves as the primary site for testing the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile and launching Soyuz 2 and Angara rockets that deploy military satellites, including those from the Rasfitt orbital constellation which Moscow views as an alternative to Starlink. Following the attack, footage captured from a distance showed smoke rising from the facility, confirming the impact of the drone strike on this vital infrastructure. The significance of the Plesetsk Cosmodrome extends beyond its role in satellite launches, as it hosts a significant portion of Russia's military space operations and serves as a testing ground for advanced missile systems. In response to the threat, regional authorities issued urgent alerts urging residents to take shelter while simultaneously restricting mobile internet services to prevent information leaks. Prior to the main strike on Plesetsk, drones were also observed over the Pinezhsky district, leading local officials to warn that strategic facilities in the area might have been targeted by the aggressor's forces. In a separate but related operation, Ukrainian troops conducted an airstrike on the Primorsko-Akhtarsk airfield during the night of August 20th, 2026, with participation from specialists within the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense. This coordinated effort targeted storage and launch sites for Russian attack drones across Krasnodar Krai and the temporarily occupied Donetsk region, resulting in fires at multiple impact points where Ukrainian forces successfully destroyed or damaged eighteen drone storage locations. The offensive at Primorsko-Akhtarsk also yielded significant intelligence and equipment victories, as Ukrainian specialists managed to destroy two major radar systems: the modern mobile three-dimensional meter range radar station known as Niobium, which was adopted by the Russian army in 2016, and the long-range Nebo-U radar station. These actions demonstrate the continued capability of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to penetrate deep into Russian territory, disrupting key military logistics and electronic warfare assets while inflicting substantial damage on Russia's strategic defense infrastructure.

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Ukrainian drones carried out one of the longest-range raids on Russian territory, striking Russia's main military spaceport. The case in point is the Plesetsk Cosmodrome, where the aggressor country has repeatedly tested the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile and launched the Soyuz 2 and Angara rockets carrying military satellites and spacecraft from the Rasfitt orbital constellation, which the enemy is considering as an alternative to Starlink. This was reported by the Telegram monitoring channel Supernova Plus. Plesetsk, Arkhangelsk region. Preliminary attack on the Plesetsk Cosmodrome. Reads a statement alongside footage filmed from a distance, which shows smoke rising from the attacked facility. Arkhangelsk region authorities issued a drone strike alert. Regional Governor Alexander Tsybulsky urged residents to take shelter and announced mobile internet service restrictions. The day before, drones were also spotted over the Pinezhsky district. District head Lyudmila Kolik stated that the attack could have targeted strategic facilities. The Plesetsk Cosmodrome is of particular importance to Russia's military infrastructure. It is from here that Russia conducts a significant portion of its military space launches, including the launch of reconnaissance and communications satellites into orbit. Furthermore, Plesetsk hosted tests of the latest Russian missile systems. In particular, the Cosmodrome was repeatedly used for testing the Sarmat ICBM. In addition, the Ukrainian Armed Forces carried out an airstrike on the Primorsko-Akhtarsk airfield, destroying storage sites for Russian attack drones. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine recalled that the Ukrainian defense forces attacked the Russian military airfield Primorsko-Akhtarsk on the night of August 20th, 2026. Specialists from the main intelligence directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine participated in this operation. Specifically, the strike on the Primorsko-Akhtarsk airfield was carried out by troops from the active operations department and the main intelligence directorate's unmanned systems department. They attacked storage and launch sites for Russian military attack drones not only in Russia's Krasnodar Krai, but also in the temporarily occupied Donetsk region. Fires were reported at the impact sites. At this time, it is known that the Ukrainian Armed Forces destroyed or damaged 18 attack UV storage sites at the Primorsko-Akhtarsk airfield. Furthermore, they destroyed a modern Russian mobile three-dimensional meter range radar station, the Niobium, which the Russian army adopted in 2016. They also destroyed a Russian long-range three-dimensional meter range radar station, the Nebo-U. >> [music]