Sterlitamak chemical plant fire and droneport strikes: Ukraine’s 29 October 2026 report

Explosions were heard in Sterlitamak, Bashkortostan, on the morning of 29 October. Smoke rose over the industrial area after a drone attack. OSINT analysts located its source near Bashkir Soda Company. The Insider reported detecting a fire at the plant using NASA FIRMS thermal anomaly maps.

Bashkir Soda Company produces feedstocks used by Russia’s defence industry. Its products include terephthaloyl chloride, a component used to manufacture high-strength aramid fibres. These materials are used in body armour, helmets and other protective equipment.

Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed strikes on Russian attack-drone infrastructure near Navlya in Bryansk region. Three facilities were hit: a Geran drone storage depot, a droneport and a fuel and lubricants depot.

This infrastructure supports attack-drone operations against Ukraine, from storing the aircraft to preparing and launching them.

Two radar stations were also hit in Bryansk region, near Starodub and Medvedovo, along with drone command posts near Savlukovo and Vitovka. The report did not identify the radar types or describe the extent of the damage.

Ukraine’s Navy confirmed a missile strike on Marinovka airfield in Russia’s Volgograd region. A Neptune coastal missile system was used to attack the Russian aviation base. According to the Navy’s statement on 29 October, two Su-34 fighter-bombers were destroyed at the 11th Mixed Aviation Regiment’s base near Oktyabrsky.

The Su-34 is one of the main aircraft Russia uses to drop guided aerial bombs on Ukrainian cities and Defence Forces positions. Destroying these aircraft on the ground reduces the number available for such attacks.

In his address on 29 October, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported two Ukrainian missile strikes, the destruction of two Russian Su-34 aircraft and a hit on an Iskander missile launcher.

Russia uses Iskander systems for missile attacks on Ukraine. Detecting and striking their launchers is therefore an important part of countering Russia’s ballistic missile threat.

According to the General Staff’s morning report on 29 October, Russian personnel losses over the previous day totalled 1,560. Equipment losses included one tank, five armoured fighting vehicles, 25 artillery systems, four multiple-launch rocket systems, 1,614 drones and 272 vehicles.

An aircraft was also added to the updated tally, with its loss confirmed from an earlier period.

The General Staff separately reported that Russian personnel losses for October had reached 49,040 by the morning of 29 October. According to the Ukrainian command, this is already the highest monthly figure since the full-scale invasion began. The previous peak of 48,670 was recorded in December 2024. These are total personnel losses, not deaths alone.

In a report published on 29 October, Unmanned Systems Forces commander Robert ‘Magyar’ Brovdi reported 1,925 Russian targets destroyed or hit on 28 October. The report put the number of Russian troops hit at 521.

For 1–28 October, the USF grouping reported 59,480 targets destroyed or hit and 15,108 Russian personnel hit. These figures cover the grouping’s units and should not be added to the General Staff’s overall tally as separate losses.