Technological 'heart' hit: Aftermath of strike on Russia's strategic plant revealed
Photo: Ukrainian serviceman (Getty Images)
Russia's Kombinat Kamenskiy was hit in an overnight attack on August 16, with six facilities damaged. The strike halted the assembly line for solid-fuel rocket engines, according to the Telegram channel KiberBoroshno.
Analysts were able to precisely identify the purpose of four of the six facilities hit at the plant:
- Building 504/2 (engine forming workshop): the technological "heart" of the plant, where propellant charges are formed using pressure casting. It produces engines for the Tornado-S and Smerch multiple launch rocket systems, as well as missiles for the S-300 and S-400 systems (indexes 39B6, 39B6-02 and 39B6-01);
- Polymerization workshop: a key area for heat treatment and final curing of propellant charges, without which a finished engine cannot be produced;
- Raw materials warehouse of the solid-fuel production unit: a storage facility for critical chemical components and binding agents;
- Raw materials warehouse (presumably ammonium nitrate): a facility for storing oxidizers and basic components used in explosives.
"Damage to key links — from the raw materials warehouse to the casting and polymerization workshops — means a complete disruption of the production chain. Disabling Building 504/2 critically halts the engine assembly line," the post said.
Photo: damaged facilities at the Russian plant (t.me/kiber_boroshno)
Since the specialized equipment used for pressure casting and polymerization is highly precise and custom-made, restoring it under Western sanctions will take anywhere from several months to years.
Earlier, Ukrainian forces struck sites used for the storage, preparation and control of attack drones, as well as a command post in Crimea and the Kherson region.
Commander of Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces Robert "Madyar" Brovdi said Russia is increasing the number of missile and drone attacks on Ukraine. At the same time, Ukrainian forces are stepping up strikes on enemy military facilities and logistics hubs behind the front lines.
