Drones target Russia's Azot chemical plant, triggering major fire
Photo: Governor confirms attack (Russian media)
Drones attacked Novomoskovsk in Russia’s Tula region early Wednesday morning, October 28. A fire broke out at the Azot chemical plant following the strike, according to OSINT and Russian Telegram channels.
At around 6 a.m. local time, footage of a fire in Novomoskovsk began circulating widely on social media. Russian users reported an attack and said one of the city’s facilities had been hit.
Initially, it was unclear what had caused the fire. At around 4 a.m., Tula region Governor Dmitry Milyaev had posted on social media that a missile threat had been declared in the region. It later emerged that the city had been attacked by drones.
According to OSINT accounts, the Azot chemical plant was hit. It is one of Russia’s largest nitrogen fertilizer producers. A massive fire broke out on the plant’s premises following the attack.
The facility produces ammonia, ammonium nitrate, urea, and methanol. According to Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service, the plant supplied nitric acid to the Sverdlov Plant in Dzerzhinsk, which manufactures explosives.
Shortly after the attack, the regional governor confirmed that damage had been reported in an industrial zone. He also said laboratories from the regional environmental agency Prирода and the Tula region office of Rospotrebnadzor, Russia’s consumer safety watchdog, were being dispatched to the city.
Milyaev also urged residents to stay indoors. An OSINT account suggested that an ammonia leak may have occurred, although this has not been independently confirmed.
Other attacks
Several Russian regions also declared missile alerts overnight. A fire was subsequently reported in Lipetsk, near the Novolipetsk Steel plant. Local authorities have not yet commented on the situation.
We also reported that missiles struck the Energiya plant in Yelets, Lipetsk region, on October 25. The facility is known to manufacture batteries used in Iskander and Kinzhal missiles.
