Zelenskyy imposes sanctions on Russian manufacturer of drones used to shell Odesa

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy has enacted the decision of the National Security and Defense Council to impose sanctions on a number of Russian companies, including Alabuga Machinery, a limited liability company that produces kamikaze drones.

The company was featured in the material of the Center for Public Investigations, dedicated to identifying those involved in the attack on Odesa on March 2, 2024.

On the night of March 2, 2024, Odesa was massively attacked by enemy drones known as "shahids". Seven Russian drones were shot down over the Odesa region. But one of them, maneuvering over residential buildings, hit an Odesa high-rise building. As a result of the attack, the entire entrance of the nine-story building on Dobrovolskogo Street was destroyed, 18 apartments were destroyed, and dozens of apartments were damaged. The shelling damaged heating networks, leaving several houses, a kindergarten and a school without heating. 12 people were killed, including five children. The youngest child was only three months old. Another 20 residents were injured. One of the entrances of an Odesa high-rise building simply collapsed.

It turned out that the city was attacked by a modified Shahed with a reinforced warhead. It was then that the production of such drones began in Alabuga, Tatarstan.

"According to the Russian system rusprofile, the company Alabuga Machine, where Nikolai Aftapov is a director, was registered on October 3, 2022. The company's founders are two companies - GEA and Alabuga Development. The latter has received government orders totaling approximately RUB 128 billion. Alabuga Development has been registered since 2016," the Center for Public Information reported.

At that time, the Center even tried to contact the company's director and forced him to close his social media profiles.

The President's sanctions list also includes companies that import components for the Russian UAV manufacturer, the Kronstadt Joint Stock Company, in particular for the production of the Banderol.

Кирило Бойко