September 12 UAV Strike Destroys Molniya Drone Production Facility and Fuel Tanks at Taganrog Airfield

As a result of a Ukrainian drone attack overnight on September 12, three production and storage facilities were destroyed in Taganrog, Rostov region.

This is evidenced by satellite imagery published on the Absolutely Reliable Source Telegram channel.

One of the main results of the attack was damage to the infrastructure of LLC Atlant Aero, a company that manufactures Molniya strike and reconnaissance UAVs.

Several more production and storage facilities were destroyed at another site in Taganrog, which, according to available information, is also used by Atlant Aero.

The company specializes in the full development, production, and testing cycle of Molniya strike and reconnaissance UAVs. These include the Molniya-1 and Molniya-2 strike drones, as well as the Molniya-2R reconnaissance UAV.

The company also manufactures components for other Russian unmanned systems.

The company had already suffered significant losses in a previous attack. On April 19, Ukrainian Neptune cruise missiles struck Atlant Aero’s production facilities.

At the time, General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirmed that two production facilities of the enterprise were destroyed and four others were damaged.

A separate target was the Taganrog-Central military airfield, located within the city. The 708th Military Transport Aviation Regiment is based there.

After the attack, fuel tanks burned for an extended period at the airfield. Satellite analysis also showed signs of scorched vegetation near the position of a Russian S-400 SAM system.

This may indicate an attempt to strike the position, but there is currently no confirmation of the system’s destruction.

Overall, fires were recorded at at least four industrial facilities in Taganrog following the attack. Russian local authorities also reported the fires.

The attack on Taganrog took place overnight on September 11–12, 2026.