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Ukrainian Forces Strike Key Chemical Facility in Russia’s Cherepovets
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Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces Commander Robert "Magyar" Brovdi reported on April 13 a drone strike on the Apatit chemical plant in Cherepovets, located in the Vologda region of northwestern Russia.
He characterized the facility as a massive chemical producer that generates hundreds of thousands of tons of ammonia, saltpeter, and nitric acid annually.
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Brovdi noted that these materials serve as raw ingredients for manufacturing TNT, RDX, and other components used in ammunition production.
According to analysis from the OSINT community CyberBoroshno, the strike affected two out of three ammonia workshops. These workshops have a combined capacity of 900,000 tons per year.
Analysts also indicated a probable hit on the ammonia storage facility associated with these units. The existing defense structures at the plant did not prevent the impact.
The facility in Cherepovets accounts for approximately 6% of Russia's total ammonia production. Additionally, the Apatit plant is the largest producer in Europe of phosphate-based fertilizers, phosphoric and sulfuric acids, NPK fertilizers, and ammonium nitrate.
The Governor of the Vologda region, Georgy Filimonov, stated that 13 drones were involved in the attack. He claimed that all of the incoming unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down by local defense systems.
Earlier, the drone strikes targeted one of Russia’s largest chemical plants, JSC Apatit, in the city of Cherepovets on March 27, 2026. According to regional governor Georgy Filimonov, eight impacts were recorded at the industrial site following the UAV attack.
While the facility was primarily known as Europe’s largest producer of phosphate-based fertilizers, its output of sulfuric acid was considered a critical component for the manufacture of explosives like TNT during Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
