The Progress Rocket and Space Center in Samara sustained visible roof and exterior damage after a Ukrainian strike, according to Vantor satellite imagery obtained by Business Insider. Ukrainian authorities said FP-5 Flamingo cruise missiles were used and called the operation a success, though internal damage remains unconfirmed. The plant manufactures Soyuz-2.1b rockets used to launch Rassvet satellites — Moscow's planned alternative to SpaceX's Starlink — and Fire Point warned repairs could take months. The strike highlights the growing strategic importance of space infrastructure in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Satellite Images Show Damage at Samara Soyuz Rocket Plant After Ukrainian Missile Strike
The aftermath of a Ukrainian strike on Russia's Progress Rocket and Space Center.Satellite image ©2026 Vantor.
New satellite imagery obtained by Business Insider and captured by U.S. spatial-intelligence firm Vantor shows visible damage to a building at the Progress Rocket and Space Center in Samara after a Ukrainian missile strike over the weekend. The photos show a hole in the roof and exterior damage, and social-media video from the scene showed a large fire and a plume of thick black smoke.
What Happened: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the military struck the facility from more than 550 miles away using FP-5 Flamingo cruise missiles, calling the operation "a good achievement." Ukrainian officials say the precise extent of internal damage is still being assessed.
Ukrainian forces struck the Progress Rocket Space Center in Russia over the weekend.Satellite image ©2026 Vantor.
About the Facility: The Progress Rocket and Space Center is a joint-stock company operating under the Russian state corporation Roscosmos. The Samara plant is a key part of Russia's space industry and manufactures the Soyuz family of rockets, including the three-stage Soyuz-2.1b.
Ukraine's military has said the Soyuz-2.1b rockets produced at the plant are used to deploy Rassvet — a low Earth orbit satellite-internet constellation developed by Russian aerospace company Bureau 1440. Rassvet is widely described by analysts as Moscow's intended alternative to SpaceX's Starlink, a system that has proven important on the battlefield for resilient communications and drone operations.
Starlink has been critical for Ukraine's drone operations.REUTERS/Inna Varenytsia
Context: Russian forces had been using Starlink in Ukraine until earlier this year, when Kyiv asked SpaceX to disable terminals used by Moscow. Since then, Russia has accelerated efforts to build its own satellite-internet capability; officials say it already has more than a dozen Rassvet satellites and ambitions to expand the constellation significantly.
Fire Point, the Ukrainian defense company that manufactures the Flamingo cruise missile, said the Samara center is Russia's only production site for the Soyuz-2 family and warned that repairs could take months. Ukraine's military also said the facility builds Earth-observation satellites used for reconnaissance.
The strike is part of a broader campaign of Ukrainian deep strikes in recent weeks that have targeted military bases, energy infrastructure, and logistics hubs inside Russia. Analysts say the attack underscores how space-related infrastructure has become a strategic focus in the conflict.
Satellite image ©2026 Vantor. Reporting by Business Insider.
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