May 5, 2026

Ukrainian drones hit apartment buildings in Cheboksary. Two people died

Ukrainian missiles and drones attacked Cheboksary, reported Prime Minister of Chuvashia Sergey Artamonov. The target of the Armed Forces of Ukraine was the defense enterprise "VNIIIR-Progress", Astra and Exilenova+ reported. According to them, two residential multi-story buildings were hit. A strike on a military factory. The attack of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Cheboksary began on the night of May 4-5. As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later confirmed, "Flamingo" cruise missiles struck a facility of the Russian military-industrial complex in the city. The target of the attack was the "VNIIIR-Progress" plant, which produces "Kometa" navigation modules for UAVs and missiles, Astra found out by analyzing footage from eyewitnesses. The Ukrainian Telegram channel Exilenova+ also reported this without citing a source. In addition, a shopping center and several cars were damaged. Three people were injured, the regional Ministry of Health reported. Drone hits on residential buildings. In the morning, drones attacked Cheboksary. Two of them hit multi-story buildings, according to photos and videos published by Exilenova+, Mash, Baza, and other channels. Astra was able to establish that the footage shows houses at Stroiteli, 6 and Leninskogo Komsomola, 5. However, regional authorities confirmed the strike of a Ukrainian drone on only one of the multi-story buildings. Prime Minister of Chuvashia Sergey Artamonov reported that there were casualties due to the attack, but he did not name their number. Later, the press service of the Investigative Committee reported that there were also deaths due to drone hits on residential buildings. The department did not name their number. According to Baza and RT, two people became victims. Another 34 people, including a child, were injured, the Telegram channel added. One of the injured, according to the publication, is in serious condition. At 16:50 Moscow time, Chuvashia Governor Oleg Nikolaev confirmed the data about two deaths. According to him, 32 people were injured, including a child. The main blow fell on civilian infrastructure, the head of the region stated. "28 apartment buildings, housing 8.5 thousand people, were damaged. In two buildings, the load-bearing structures are damaged - it is dangerous to stay there. Places in dormitories have been prepared for the residents of these houses," Nikolaev said. Consequences. "For safety reasons," the Ministry of Transport of Chuvashia temporarily suspended the operation of all public transport. It has now been restored. Schools and technical schools in Cheboksary switched to distance learning. In some of them, temporary accommodation centers have been opened. Shopping centers are also closed in the city. Due to the attack, the regional authorities considered the option of declaring a republican state of emergency, said Prime Minister of Chuvashia Artamonov. Later, the regional governor announced the introduction of a regional state of emergency. What we don't know. Exilenova+ claims that the drone hits on residential buildings were the result of electronic warfare. OSINT analyst Kirill Mikhailov, in a conversation with "Agentstvo", called this version possible. According to him, the low flight altitude of the drones before impact indicates this. Also, a malfunction of the UAV could have been the cause of the hits on the multi-story buildings, a representative of the research group Conflict Intelligence Team told the agency. He emphasized that one of the houses is located 350 meters from the "VNIIIR-Progress" plant. Previous strikes on Cheboksary. The military enterprise is not the first time it has been targeted by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In particular, drones attacked the plant in June 2025, after which it temporarily suspended operations. In July 2025, one drone fell on the roof of "VNIIIR-Progress", and a second damaged a warehouse under construction. Due to the attack in November, not only the plant but also two residential buildings were damaged. Two people were injured, one of them a teenager. In December, a residential building on Ivan Yakovlev Avenue near the enterprise came under fire, 14 people were injured, including a child. The last drone attack until today occurred on February 18. The target of the raid was also the VNIIIR plant. Updated at 17:02 Moscow time: added comments from Chuvashia Governor Oleg Nikolaev.