On the morning of 28 July, the Moscow Region was attacked by a large number of drones. In the Russian town of Chekhov, a column of thick black smoke rose following the explosions. Monitoring channels are reporting that the «Hydrostalkonstruktsiya» factory may have been hit.
Footage released shows smoke rising from the industrial part of the city. According to preliminary reports, one of the drones may have struck a pipe on the factory premises, causing a fire to break out.
What is known about the drone attack on Chekhov
The first reports of explosions in the Moscow Region They began arriving at around five o’clock in the morning. Local residents posted videos showing the drones in flight, the Russian air defence systems in action and the smoke.
Smoke rose above the industrial estate
The most noticeable effects were recorded in Chekhov, located approximately 50 kilometres from Moscow. Following what is believed to have been a strike, a tall column of black smoke rose above the industrial part of the town.
The Exilenova+ monitoring channel reported that a drone had crashed or struck a pipe on the premises of the «Hydrostalkonstruktsiya» plant. Based on the information made public, it is not possible to independently determine exactly which production facilities have been damaged.
The Russian authorities have not yet released any detailed information about the fire in Chekhov. There are also no details regarding casualties.
What does the «Hydrostalkonstruktsiya» factory produce?»
The company specialises in the manufacture of hydromechanical equipment and steel structures for the electricity and water management sectors.
The plant works with major energy facilities
According to publicly available information, the company produces:
- hydraulic gates and protective barriers;
- lifting and handling equipment;
- large-scale welded steel structures;
- equipment for thermal and hydroelectric power stations;
- structures for water management facilities.
The plant’s clients included the Moscow Canal, the Sayano-Shushenskaya and Bratsk hydroelectric power stations, as well as dozens of other Russian power stations and hydraulic structures. The company has been in operation since 1948 and has manufactured hundreds of thousands of tonnes of products over the course of its history.
At the same time, there is no confirmation in open sources that the plant directly manufactures weapons. Its products are used primarily in the energy sector and industrial infrastructure.
Sobyanin announced that more than 80 drones had been shot down
Mayor of Moscow Sergey Sobyanin Throughout the morning, he posted updates about new groups of drones that were reportedly heading for the Russian capital.
The Russian authorities have been steadily increasing the number of targets
Sobyanin initially stated that more than 70 drones had been intercepted. He later reported that the total number of drones allegedly destroyed had risen to 81. According to him, the emergency services are working at the sites where the debris fell.
The Russian news agency «Interfax» also reported that 81 drones were allegedly flying towards Moscow. There is no independent confirmation of the reported number of targets shot down.
The attack may have disrupted operations at Moscow’s airports and led to tighter air traffic restrictions. The full extent of the attack’s impact is still being assessed.
The large-scale raid highlighted the vulnerability of the Moscow region
Even with Russia’s claims that its air defence systems were operational, the drones were able to reach Chekhov and cause a fire near a strategically important industrial facility. However, the claim that the factory itself was deliberately targeted requires further confirmation.
If the damage to production facilities is confirmed, the company may need to suspend certain processes in order to assess the impact and carry out repairs.
