A group of drones reached Russia’s Dagestan region and struck workshops at the Dagdizel shipbuilding plant in Kaspiysk. A port that hosts Russian Navy vessels may also have been targeted. Local authorities confirmed the attack. The aftermath was captured in multiple videos showing air-defense activity; one clip shows a bright flash on the ground rather than in the sky.
The first reports of the drone raid’s impact in Kaspiysk emerged the morning of December 1. Initial photos published by the Russian outlet Astra on Telegram show a courtyard of a high-rise, residents inspecting debris, and several blown-out windows on an upper floor. Local media said the drones likely headed toward the shipyard or a Russian Navy base.
Dagestan’s head, Sergei Melikov, later issued a statement. The Russian official confirmed a drone attack and claimed that “all targets were shot down over Kaspiysk.” He also urged residents to be cautious and limit time outdoors.
Astra’s channel geolocated the buildings with shattered windows to 1 Molodezhnaya Street, about 3.5 km from the shipyard.
On Google Maps, potential targets for the drone attack in Kaspiysk on December 1 can be marked. To reach them, the drones would have had to fly over urban areas and, before that, traverse roughly 600 km across southern regions of Russia.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported an attack by 38 Ukrainian drones, saying air defenses neutralized all UAVs - without mentioning Dagestan. The southern regions the drones reportedly flew over included Krasnodar Krai and Rostov region (4 UAVs each) and the Sea of Azov (3 UAVs).
The seaport in Kaspiysk has become a Russian Navy base, Russian state media TASS previously reported. During the war, part of the Black Sea Fleet was transferred there after some vessels could no longer remain at naval bases in occupied Crimea and there was not enough capacity in Novorossiysk.
Dagdizel - also known as Plant No. 182 - is a Russian machine-building and ship repair facility specializing in diesel engines, torpedoes and ship ventilation systems. Since April 2022, Dagdizel has been under U.S. sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
