Drones that closely resembled Ukraine’s AN-196 “Liutyi” model attacked the Uralchem plant in the city of Kirovo-Chepetsk, the Kirov region. News of the incident emerged on Wednesday, March 4.
Regional governor Alexander Sokolov confirmed the attack on his Telegram channel. He reported no casualties and provided no further details. Kirovo-Chepetsk lies more than 1,000 kilometers (about 620 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
“This morning, unmanned aerial vehicles attacked Kirovo-Chepetsk. No casualties have been reported. Emergency services remain at the scene, and the situation is under control,” said Sokolov.
Videos of the drone attack first appeared in multiple social media groups, posted by eyewitnesses. Local authorities later confirmed the incident but did not identify the damaged facility.
Uralchem is known for producing ammonium nitrate, which is used in the production of explosives. The facility sits about 1,300 kilometers from the Russia-Ukraine border.
Earlier, on the night of February 25, drones attacked the Dorogobuzh chemical plant. Authorities reported seven dead and 10 injured. Media outlets said residents from surrounding settlements were evacuated.
Later, it emerged that ammonium nitrate production units were within the blast zone. The blast wave completely destroyed one of the pipe racks and damaged part of the neighboring production units, insiders said.
