Ukrainian Neptune coastal missile systems and attack drones struck the Kamensky Combine in Russia’s Rostov region overnight on October 31, igniting a warehouse and damaging four production workshops at a facility vital for manufacturing solid rocket propellant for multiple-launch rocket systems, UNITED24 Media reported.
Striking the Source of Russian Rocket Power
The targeted Kamensky Combine, located in Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, plays a central role in supplying solid rocket propellant for Russian weapons. According to Ukraine’s General Staff, the coordinated strike on October 31 damaged four production workshops and set fire to a warehouse containing finished products.
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Solid rocket propellant provides the essential thrust required to launch and propel munitions for several key Russian systems, including the Uragan, Smerch, and Tornado-S multiple-launch rocket systems, as well as other missile and air-launched weapons. Disruptions to this facility directly affect Russia’s capacity to manufacture ammunition deployed against Ukrainian military positions and populated areas.
The strike did not occur in isolation. Just two days prior, on October 29, the ATESH partisan movement reported sabotaging electrical infrastructure at the same Rostov region site. That operation damaged a power distribution node, causing localized disruptions that required immediate repairs before normal production could resume.
Wider Targeting of Russia’s Defense Industrial Base
The operation against the Kamensky plant aligns with a broader campaign by Ukrainian forces targeting facilities critical to the Russian military-industrial complex. Earlier in the month, on October 25, missiles struck the Energia plant in the Russian city of Yelets, located in Lipetsk Oblast.
According to analysts from the Ukrainian OSINT community Exilenova+, several missiles struck the Yelets facility, sending thick smoke across the industrial zone. Lipetsk Region Governor Igor Artamonov confirmed that an attack had hit the city’s industrial zone, noting that emergency services were working at the scene.
The Energia plant—identified by the War&Sanctions project run by Defence Intelligence of Ukraine as a strategic asset—specializes in manufacturing electrochemical power sources, including accumulators, power cells, and batteries. These components are used in Iskander-M cruise missiles, Zircon ballistic missiles, 95Ya6 surface-to-air missiles for Pantsir air defense systems, and Kh-47M2 Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missiles.
Assessing the Regional Industrial Impact
| Facility Name | Location | Reported Date | Key Military Products |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energia Plant | Yelets, Lipetsk Oblast | October 25 | Power cells and batteries for Iskander, Kinzhal, and Zircon missiles |
| Kamensky Combine | Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, Rostov Region | October 31 | Solid rocket propellant for Uragan, Smerch, and Tornado-S systems |
Independent verification of the exact extent of the damage at the Kamensky Combine remains ongoing, though satellite imagery published by the OSINT project Absolutely Reliable Source documented the aftermath of the late-October strike. The Ukrainian Defense Forces also struck four Russian military logistics depots during the same operational window, targeting sites in Khartsyzsk and Dokuchaevsk in Donetsk Oblast, Novovasylivka in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, and Novoaydar in Luhansk Oblast.
The General Staff emphasized that these operations are conducted under Ukraine’s right to self-defense as outlined in the UN Charter, with the objective of systematically weakening Russia’s military and economic potential.
