Ukrainian drone hits a plant deep inside Russia after record Russian drone attacks in June

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A Ukrainian drone struck a Russian industrial plant some 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) from Ukraine, a local official said Tuesday, after Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy prioritized the weapon's development and Russia pounded Ukraine with a monthly record of drones in June.

Both sides in the more than three-year war following Russia’s February 2022 invasion of its neighbor have raced to improve drone technology and enhance their use on the battlefield. They have deployed increasingly sophisticated and deadlier drones, turning the war into a testing ground for the new weaponry.

Ukraine is under severe strain from a Russian push at places on the roughly 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, but analysts say its defenses are largely holding firm. With recent direct peace talks delivering no progress on U.S.-led international efforts to halt the fighting, Russia and Ukraine are bulking up their arsenals.

Russia last month launched 5,438 drones at Ukraine, a new monthly record, according to official data collated by The Associated Press.