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Drone Strike Ignites Russian Chemical Plant Supplying Explosives for Army Artillery Shells
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![Ivan_khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
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A series of drone strikes targeted the Azot chemical plant in Russia’s Tula region overnight on June 8, causing multiple explosions and a fire at the facility, Militarnyi reported, citing local media outlet Astra and eyewitness accounts.
Residents reported hearing between five and eight loud blasts, followed by a large fire on the premises. The governor of Tula region later confirmed the incident, attributing the blaze to debris from a downed drone.
The Azot plant, operated by the Novomoskovsk Joint Stock Company and owned by the EuroChem Group since 2002, is one of Russia’s largest producers of industrial chemicals.
The facility manufactures ammonia, nitrogen fertilizers, chlorine, organic plastics and resins, caustic soda, calcium chloride, argon, methanol, and nitric acid.
The plant’s products are supplied to the Sverdlov State Plant in Nizhny Novgorod, where they are used in the production of military-grade explosives, including HMX and RDX — key components in artillery shells.
Despite public statements from EuroChem denying any links to the defense industry, data available through Russia’s public procurement platforms reportedly confirm active contracts between Azot and the Sverdlov plant, a known producer of explosives.
In December 2024, a report analyzing railway shipment data indicated that EuroChem and four other chemical companies were responsible for more than 75% of all domestic deliveries of materials used in explosive manufacturing.
Regional monitoring services and Rospotrebnadzor stated there were no recorded exceedances of pollutant levels, and the fire has been fully contained.
Azot’s role in supplying explosive precursors to Russia’s military production facilities has previously drawn scrutiny from investigative journalists and open-source intelligence analysts.
Earlier on June 6, Ukrainian drones struck the Kristall oil depot in Russia’s Saratov region, setting fire to at least four fuel tanks. The facility supplies Engels-2 airbase, home to Tu-95MS and Tu-160 strategic bombers used in missile strikes on Ukraine.
