What happened
According to LIGA.net, citing an interlocutor in the SBU, on the night of February 7 drones from the Center for Special Operations "Alpha" struck the Redkino Research Plant in the settlement of Redkino in Tver Oblast. The facility, sources say, manufactures fuel components for cruise missiles, in particular the Kh-55 and Kh-101, as well as fuel additives for diesel fuel and aviation kerosene. The FIRMS service recorded a large fire on the enterprise's grounds; regional authorities also confirmed the fire and reported a drone attack.
"The Security Service of Ukraine struck a chemical enterprise in Tver Oblast that produces components of rocket fuel."
— interlocutor in the SBU, LIGA.net
Why it matters
Three key reasons. First, this is a direct strike on the production element of missile systems — it is not about munitions, but about the materials without which missiles cannot be launched. Second, the plant had been under international sanctions (U.S., U.K., etc.), so the operation increases economic pressure on supply chains. Third, the recorded fire has been confirmed by independent monitoring services (FIRMS) and local authorities — meaning there are multiple independent sources corroborating the damage to the facility.
Context and signs of a pattern
This strike should be seen in a broader context: in recent days the region has experienced power and utility outages in Belgorod, and the General Staff reported a series of successful strikes on the Kapustin Yar training ground in Astrakhan Oblast. For analysts, this looks like part of a strategy aimed at steadily complicating the logistics and production of missile systems in Russia.
Consequences and outlook
One strike rarely solves the problem completely, but it can:
- temporarily complicate the supply of critical components for cruise missile launches;
- amplify the effect of sanctions by making access to technologies and materials more difficult;
- send a clear signal that supply chains are not untouchable.
Analysts note that the effect will depend on Russia's ability to reroute or restore production and on whether Ukraine continues systematic efforts to detect and strike key nodes in the supply chain.
What next? As attention — and missile capabilities — are redistributed, it is important to monitor confirmations from independent sources and whether this tactical success will translate into a sustained strategic weakening of the adversary.
Note: available videos from the scene contain profanity.
