ATESh partisans, in coordination with Ukrainian Defense Forces, destroyed three cellular communication towers equipped with radio-electronic warfare antennas that were creating interference along the drones’ route. After their destruction, the air corridor opened, allowing Ukrainian drones to pass the route unhindered and strike the aircraft repair plant in Staraya Russa.
The towers were burned near Okhvat (Tver Oblast), Demyansk and Valday (Novgorod Oblast). According to ATESh, these exact nodes were creating obstacles for Ukrainian Defense Forces’ unmanned aerial vehicles along the entire route section.
On March 18, Ukraine’s General Staff announced a strike on facilities of the 123rd Aircraft Repair Plant in the Russian city of Staraya Russa, Novgorod Oblast. During the attack, a hangar for servicing Il-76 and L-410 type aircraft was hit.
The General Staff noted that the plant carries out a full cycle of repair and modernization of military transport aircraft and their components. The enterprise also has its own runway, allowing it to receive heavy aircraft on its territory.
The 123rd Aircraft Repair Plant (ARZ) is considered a leader in servicing military and civilian transport aircraft in Russia and is the largest enterprise in the Staraya Russa district of Novgorod Oblast.