Major Russian explosives plant engulfed in flames after attack, photos
Photo: Thick smoke rising over the plant is visible from the other side of the city (Getty Images)
Drones launched a massive attack on Dzerzhinsk in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod region overnight on August 19. According to a preliminary OSINT analysis, the source of the massive smoke over the city is likely the territory of the Sverdlov Defense and Chemical Plant.
Witnesses in Dzerzhinsk posted footage overnight showing the massive drone attack and thick smoke rising over the city.
According to an analysis of the photographs, the source of the smoke is highly likely located on the grounds of the Sverdlov explosives plant — approximately five kilometers from an apartment building that was previously damaged by a drone.
The Sverdlov Plant is a major employer in Dzerzhinsk and part of Russia's military-industrial complex. It is one of the country's largest explosives manufacturers and has a history spanning more than a century.
Photo: Smoke over the plant recorded on August 19 (t.me/astrapress)
Photo: OSINT analysis indicating an attack on the plant (t.me/astrapress)
The company is under sanctions imposed by Ukraine, the European Union, the United States, Britain, Japan and Switzerland, in particular over its support for actions that threaten Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
This is not the first time the plant has been targeted by Ukrainian drones. A similar attack took place on April 30.
On August 15, Ukraine's Armed Forces struck one of Roscosmos' key facilities — the Progress Rocket and Space Center in Samara — as well as the Savasleyka airfield in the Nizhny Novgorod region, located about 900 kilometers away from the missile launch point. Powerful explosions were also reported in the region that day, with Savasleyka among the targets.
