Satellite captures damage at Russia's Progress rocket and space center after strike
Photo: Ukrainian forces strike the Progress rocket and space center in Samara (Fire Point video screenshot)
Ukrainian forces struck Russia's Progress rocket and space center in Samara overnight on August 15. The facility is the only plant in Russia responsible for serial assembly of Soyuz-2 launch vehicles, according to KiberBoroshno.
The strike likely hit Building 106A, part of the Soyuz production complex. The high-cleanliness facility is where the launch vehicles' "nervous system" is installed — onboard electronics, instruments, flight-control systems, and cable networks.
Without this stage, a rocket cannot be completed even if its main structures and fuel tanks are already ready. Building 106B, which houses final assembly, is also located nearby.
Impact on production
Restoring a facility like this is likely to take considerably longer than repairing a conventional factory floor. Because of the specialized clean-room environment, fire damage, soot, and water contamination would require clean zones to be requalified, the production process to be recertified, and dust-control standards to be revalidated. That could take months rather than weeks.
Photo: Aftermath of the strike on Progress Center in Samara (t.me/kiber_boroshno)
Photo: Aftermath of the strike on Progress Center in Samara (t.me/kiber_boroshno)
Photo: Aftermath of the strike on Progress Center in Samara (t.me/kiber_boroshno)
The situation is further complicated for Russia by sanctions. Soyuz onboard electronics rely heavily on imported components, access to which is currently restricted and which cannot simply be replaced by purchasing new supplies.
Why Progress Center is strategically important
The plant is unique because Russia has no equivalent production facility. It is the only site where the full range of Soyuz-2 rockets is assembled — launch vehicles Russia uses to put its spacecraft into orbit.
These include:
- Liana military reconnaissance and targeting satellites;
- Persona and Razdan electro-optical reconnaissance satellites;
- the Rassvet satellite internet constellation, a Russian alternative to Starlink developed by Bureau 1440 and deployed exclusively using Soyuz-2.1b launch vehicles.
The exact scale of the damage is still being assessed using satellite imagery.
The strike on the Progress rocket and space center in Samara overnight on August 15 was confirmed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
According to Zelenskyy, Flamingo missiles were used in the attack. The plant is located about 900 kilometers from Ukraine's border.
