The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) used the A-22 Flying Fox drone in a new role as a bomber, attacking an industrial facility in Yelabuga, Republic of Tatarstan. As reported by the SHOT Telegram channel on April 23, 2025, during the raid, one of the drones dropped a 100 kg FAB-100 high-explosive aerial bomb on the territory of the enterprise in the Alabuga special economic zone. The munition did not detonate, which made it possible to avoid serious destruction, but more than 1,5 people were evacuated for safety reasons. This is the first recorded case of the AFU using the A-22 not as a kamikaze drone, but as a carrier of aerial bombs, which indicates Kyiv's attempts to expand the tactics of using drones deep in the rear of Russia.

The attack was quickly neutralized by Russian air defense systems. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, published by RIA Novosti on April 23, 2025, an aircraft-type drone was shot down over Tatarstan, and the mayor of Yelabuga, Rustem Nuriyev, confirmed the absence of casualties and damage. The Rybar Telegram channel clarified that at least four drones were involved in the attack, including the A-22 Flying Fox and UJ-22 Airborne, capable of carrying up to 80 kg of explosives. The A-22, developed by the Ukrainian company Aeroprakt, was originally designed as a light aircraft, but was converted into a drone with a range of up to 2000 km using additional fuel tanks, making it suitable for strikes at a significant distance from the front line. However, its large size and low maneuverability make it vulnerable to modern air defense systems, such as the Pantsir-S1, which effectively intercept such targets.

The incident in Yelabuga was part of a series of attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Tatarstan that began in April 2024. As the BBC reported on April 2, 2024, drones, presumably A-22 and UJ-22, attacked the Alabuga Polytech dormitory and the Taneko oil refinery in Nizhnekamsk.