SBU’s Alpha Special Forces Claim Hit on Rostov’s Azov Optical-Mechanical Plant

Ukrainian forces said they struck the Azov Optical-Mechanical Plant in southern Russia’s Rostov region overnight into Saturday.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said its Alpha Special Operations Center hit the plant in a joint operation with the Ukrainian Navy. The SBU called the facility a key supplier of components used in precision weapons. “This enterprise is one of the key optoelectronic sites of the Russian Tactical Missile Weapons Corporation. The plant produces radar and infrared homing heads for guided missiles, thermal imaging devices, and electronic systems for high-precision artillery,” the agency wrote in its press release. The attack reportedly damaged the plant’s “optical and foundry production facilities, the assembly area, the galvanic shop and the printed circuit board manufacturing shop,” it added. The plant was also reportedly struck in a Ukrainian attack on July 10. The SBU also claimed it hit a Pantsir-S2 air defense system in the same region, likely as part of an operation to suppress local air defenses. The agency also claimed involvement in hitting the Ilsky Oil Refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar Krai overnight. Domestic missiles used The operation used an array of domestically built weapons, including the Ruta, Palanytsia and Bars drone missiles, as well as Neptune anti-ship missiles, according to the SBU. The Neptune missile was used to sink the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, the Moskva, in April 2022. Ukraine unveiled an updated version in August 2025, with reports suggesting it has a range of up to 1,000 km (621 miles) – a jump from the 300 km (186 miles) range listed in a 2020 brochure for the original model. Other Topics of Interest Russia’s 7th-Largest Refinery in Perm Reportedly Offline After Friday Attack The refinery, deep inside Russia’s Ural Mountains, is said to have once processed 252,000 barrels of crude per ⁠day before coming under regular Ukrainian strikes in 2026. The Palanytsia, which Kyiv described as a drone-missile hybrid, was first unveiled in 2024 and later upgraded in 2025, bringing the reported range to 650 km (400 miles). The Ruta and Bars are classified similarly, with President Volodymyr Zelensky announcing successful tests of the former in late 2024. Confirmed combat use of the Ruta was reported in 2025, followed by upgrades in 2026 that included a heavier warhead, a reported range of over 450 kilometers (280 miles), and a guidance system said to be immune to electronic warfare (EW) jamming. The Bars, with a 700-800 kilometers (435-500 miles) range and a 50-100-kilogram (110-220-pound) warhead, was unveiled in April 2025. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.