Drone attack sparks major fire at chemical plant in Russia's Veliky Novgorod
Firefighter of Russia's Emergencies Ministry (illustrative photo: Telegram mchs_official)
A large fire broke out at a chemical plant in Veliky Novgorod, Russia, during the night of December 11. Before this, reports emerged of an attack by unidentified drones, according to Russian public channels.
According to the pro-Ukrainian Telegram channel Exilenova+, the target of the strike was the Acron plant operated by Acron Group. Its products are partly dual-use: in addition to mineral fertilizers, they are used in the production of explosives.
According to local sources, at least five explosions occurred in the facility's area, after which individual production units at the plant caught fire. Videos showing the moments of the strikes and the large fire in the industrial zone were published online.
The governor of Russia's Novgorod region, Alexander Dronov, confirmed an attack by unidentified drones in the area and reported the activation of the air defense system.
In the morning, he stated that 19 drones had been shot down over the region.
Attack on Moscow
Unidentified drones attacked Moscow during the night of December 11. As a result, several airports in the Russian capital suspended operations. A red drone threat level was declared in the Moscow region. Airports canceled 27 departures and 27 arrivals.
Later, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin began reporting on the downing of unidentified drones.
Strike on a chemical plant
During the night of December 4, Ukraine's Defense Forces struck a facility in Russia's Stavropol region that operates within the Russian military-industrial complex. The target was the Nevinnomyssk Azot plant.
It is noted that this plant is a critically important component of Russia's defense industry. It produces over 1 million tons of ammonia and up to 1.4 million tons of ammonium nitrate per year, making it one of the leading suppliers of base components for the production of explosives.
