Ukraine's intelligence services attack unique plant in Russia - Sources
Oskol Electrometallurgical Plant named after Ugarov (OEMK) (RusMedia)
According to sources in the intelligence community, in a joint special operation by the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Foreign Intelligence Service, on the night of July 1, kamikaze drones targeted the Oskol Electrometallurgical Plant named after Ugarov (OEMK) in Russia.
Sources in the special service told RBC-Ukraine about this.
The OEMK is the only full-cycle metallurgical enterprise in Russia. Two major power substations in the Belgorod region were shut down as a result of the strike:
- The Stary Oskol substation near the village of Neznamovo.
- The Metallurgichnaya substation near the town of Volokonovka, which is one of the largest substations in Europe.
As a result of the operation, the OEMK was completely shut down. The plant employs direct iron reduction technology and smelting in electric furnaces, allowing for the production of metal that is nearly free of harmful impurities and residual elements.
Due to the power outage, all electric arc furnaces where the metal had solidified were stopped. Restarting these furnaces will require cleaning and replacing arc elements, a process that could take months. Additionally, there is a possibility that new furnaces will need to be installed.
OEMK holds significant importance for the military-industrial complex (MIC) of the aggressor country, as it produces high-quality steel for automotive and machinery industries.
The products of the OEMK are utilized by several enterprises within the Russian military-industrial complex, including:
- GAZ (Gorkovsky Automobile Plant)
- UAZ (Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant)
- KamAZ (Kama Automobile Plant)
- Plants of the bearing companies group EPK and SKF
- AVTONORMAL enterprise
Drone strikes on Russia
In recent months, the Defense Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) have successfully carried out multiple attacks on critical enemy targets within its territory. For example, drones have targeted at least 30 oil refineries, terminals, and oil depots. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that for Ukrainian drones, a distance of 1,500 kilometers is no longer a problem.
